Russia’s War in Ukraine

News, analysis, and background on military campaigns, battlefield technology, and global diplomacy, negotiations, and sanctions.

Putin sits at a table with his hands flat on the surface, leaning forward slightly. He wears a dark suit and tie; a Russian flag hangs in the background.
Putin sits at a table with his hands flat on the surface, leaning forward slightly. He wears a dark suit and tie; a Russian flag hangs in the background.

Russia and Ukraine Are as Far Apart as Ever

Despite Trump’s efforts, negotiation will only come when both parties believe their interests are better served by talking than fighting. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Ivo H. Daalder
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.

7 Lingering Questions After the Trump Ukraine Summit

After a flurry of diplomacy, what was actually agreed to?

Explainer
Keith Johnson
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington, DC on August 18.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington, DC on August 18.

Grading Trump’s Ukraine Diplomacy

Key takeaways from a spate of high-level meetings in Alaska and Washington. This article has an audio recording

Insider
Ravi Agrawal
(First row, from left) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a family picture during a “coalition of the willing” summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris on March 27.
(First row, from left) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a family picture during a “coalition of the willing” summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris on March 27.

How Europe Can Pressure Putin—Without Trump

Now that Trump appears to have sworn off additional economic sanctions to push Russia into a cease-fire, Europe may have to go it alone. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Keith Johnson
A soldier in a helmet and residents in T-shirts look toward a smoking house on the horizon.
A soldier in a helmet and residents in T-shirts look toward a smoking house on the horizon.

Why the Donbas Matters to Putin So Much

The region is at the heart of the Ukraine war.

Explainer
John Haltiwanger
Zelensky (left) gestures and laughs as he sits next to Trump who laughs as he holds a sheet of paper as they talk in front of the gilded backdrop of the Oval Office.
Zelensky (left) gestures and laughs as he sits next to Trump who laughs as he holds a sheet of paper as they talk in front of the gilded backdrop of the Oval Office.

Key Takeaways From Trump’s Meeting With Zelensky

Less fireworks in the White House, but no definitive outcomes just yet. This article has an audio recording

Report
Rishi Iyengar

Battlefield Strategy

Russian soldiers practice marching
Russian soldiers practice marching

Why Don’t Russian Soldiers Revolt?

Astonishing death rates and brutal abuse have not kept troops from following orders.

Analysis
Amelie Tolvin
Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.
Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.

The Mood on the Front Line, Three Years On

Ukrainian troops watch with anxiety as the United States moves closer to talks with Russia over the war.

Dispatch
Fabrice Deprez
Volunteers and Ukrainian military personnel attend a presentation about radio electronic warfare and intelligence systems made by the Ukrainian company Kvertus in Ukraine’s Lviv region on May 28.
Volunteers and Ukrainian military personnel attend a presentation about radio electronic warfare and intelligence systems made by the Ukrainian company Kvertus in Ukraine’s Lviv region on May 28.

Ukraine’s Pocket-Sized Answer to Russian Drones

Moscow has the upper hand in electronic warfare. Can grassroots-led efforts help Kyiv catch up?

Analysis
Fabrice Deprez
The first batch of the Ukrainian-made Peklo drone missile is delivered to a Ukrainian Armed Forces facility in Kyiv on Dec. 6, 2024.
The first batch of the Ukrainian-made Peklo drone missile is delivered to a Ukrainian Armed Forces facility in Kyiv on Dec. 6, 2024.

The Ukrainians’ New Way of War

The audacious drone attack deep into Russia’s rear fits a larger pattern of wartime innovation.

Analysis
Christian Caryl

Wartime Diplomacy

Trump sits on an upholstered chair in the Oval Office, leaning forward slightly as he rests his hands on his knees. Rutte sits in a matching chair next to him, his hand on his chin. Vice President J.D. Vance and others sit on a sofa to the right, microphones on poles hanging over their heads.
Trump sits on an upholstered chair in the Oval Office, leaning forward slightly as he rests his hands on his knees. Rutte sits in a matching chair next to him, his hand on his chin. Vice President J.D. Vance and others sit on a sofa to the right, microphones on poles hanging over their heads.

Do Trump’s Lines in the Sand Mean Anything?

Blustering threats to Putin over Ukraine are reminiscent of Obama’s Syria failure.

Analysis
Luke McGee
NATO military forces during a display to demonstrate NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy forces from Europe, in Smardan, Romania.
NATO military forces during a display to demonstrate NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy forces from Europe, in Smardan, Romania.

It’s Time for a New Trans-Atlantic Bargain

Europe should take primary responsibility for its security, but the United States needs to deliver key assurances to allow such a transition.

Argument
Ivo H. Daalder
U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.
U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.

An Emerging Trump Doctrine?

Success in the Middle East could be a template for a new approach to Russia’s war.

Argument
Adrian Karatnycky
Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.
Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.

What the Next Round of Sanctions Against Russia Should Look Like

Moscow has successfully restructured its economy on an impressive war footing, but there are weaknesses under the hood. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Nicholas Fenton, Maria Snegovaya

Regional Dynamics

U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.
U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.

A Russia-NATO War Would Look Nothing Like Ukraine

Moscow will seek to avoid a full-on war and focus on breaking the bloc’s resolve. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Fabian Hoffmann
People walk along a street past a mural dedicated to Oleksandr Khmil, a former hockey player and coach killed in battle against Russian troops, in Kyiv on May 15.
People walk along a street past a mural dedicated to Oleksandr Khmil, a former hockey player and coach killed in battle against Russian troops, in Kyiv on May 15.

A European Peacekeeping Force in Ukraine Won’t Work

Any plan needs NATO involvement to be credible. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Azeem Ibrahim
A large ship in the ocean
A large ship in the ocean

What Europe Can Do If Trump Drops Russia Sanctions

Europe has much more economic leverage on the Kremlin than Washington.

Analysis
Agathe Demarais
A worker in a white fireproof smock and face guard is seen from across a room at a factory as they shovel smoldering coals into a massive metal furnace. The room is dim other than the bright light from the furnace and the scattered glow of coal spread across the floor.
A worker in a white fireproof smock and face guard is seen from across a room at a factory as they shovel smoldering coals into a massive metal furnace. The room is dim other than the bright light from the furnace and the scattered glow of coal spread across the floor.

Ukraine Has Become Europe’s Arsenal

The Ukrainian arms industry has kept its own country—and potentially the entire continent—competitive on the battlefield. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Paul Hockenos

Latest Stories

A Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launcher parades through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2022.
A Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launcher parades through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2022.

Russia Suspends U.S. Nuclear Inspections

But the Kremlin “doesn’t actually want an arms race” with Washington, experts say.

Report
Amy Mackinnon, Jack Detsch
Finland's ambassador to the United States Mikko Hautala
Finland's ambassador to the United States Mikko Hautala

The Russia Whisperer

Finland’s envoy to Washington once shared a sauna with the Russian president. Here’s what he thinks the West got wrong about Vladimir Putin.

Interview
Robbie Gramer
A boy rides his scooter past the destroyed city hall in Okhtyrka, Ukraine on Aug. 1.
A boy rides his scooter past the destroyed city hall in Okhtyrka, Ukraine on Aug. 1.

The Case for Cautious Optimism in Ukraine

There are two Western views of the same facts on the ground in Ukraine—and only one can be correct.

Analysis
Raphael S. Cohen, Gian Gentile
A woman watches a video that shows the execution of Bosnia Muslims from Srebrenica by Serbian paramilitaries in 1995.
A woman watches a video that shows the execution of Bosnia Muslims from Srebrenica by Serbian paramilitaries in 1995.

Scenes From Hell

A disturbing video out of Ukraine evokes similar scenes from Srebrenica.

Analysis
Janine di Giovanni
Golob smiles in front of EU flags.
Golob smiles in front of EU flags.

The War in Ukraine Is Emancipating Central Europe

Countries in the region are finally becoming full members of the EU club thanks to the war.

Argument
Caroline de Gruyter
Russian President Vladimir Putin watches the Russian Navy Day parade.
Russian President Vladimir Putin watches the Russian Navy Day parade.

Russia Is Readying the Zinc Coffins Again

U.S. officials believe Russia is facing its toughest fight since World War II.

Report
Jack Detsch
A Ukrainian serviceman walks past the turret of a Russian tank next to a destroyed gas station
A Ukrainian serviceman walks past the turret of a Russian tank next to a destroyed gas station

Ukraine’s Economy Will Collapse Without More Aid Now

Losses are building up far faster than Kyiv can manage.

Argument
Maria Repko
A view of the destroyed Fabrika shopping mall in the Ukrainian city of Kherson on July 20.
A view of the destroyed Fabrika shopping mall in the Ukrainian city of Kherson on July 20.

Ukraine’s Battle for Kherson Could Be a Key Victory

Zelensky has pledged to liberate occupied territory.

Argument
Doug Klain
Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders staff help evacuate pensioners from villages near the front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, on July 18.
Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders staff help evacuate pensioners from villages near the front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, on July 18.

Russian Propaganda Is Targeting Aid Workers

Disinformation campaigns that worked in Syria have failed so far in Ukraine.

Argument
Shannon Van Sant
Farmers harvest barley in Ukraine
Farmers harvest barley in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Breadbasket Is (Almost) Open for Business Again

But the devil is in the details, including how ships can navigate offshore minefields and Russia’s shifting will.

Report
Robbie Gramer, Christina Lu
Smoke rises from the grounds of the Azovstal steel plant amid the ongoing Russian military action in Mariupol, Ukraine, on April 29.
Smoke rises from the grounds of the Azovstal steel plant amid the ongoing Russian military action in Mariupol, Ukraine, on April 29.

Destroying the Environment Is a War Crime, Too

Beneath the human catastrophe Russia has inflicted on Ukraine is an array of environmental disasters that will impact generations to come.

Argument
Eugene Z. Stakhiv
A view of the Russian Central Bank headquarters in downtown Moscow on May 26.
A view of the Russian Central Bank headquarters in downtown Moscow on May 26.

Actually, the Russian Economy Is Imploding

Nine myths about the effects of sanctions and business retreats, debunked. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian
A man holds wheat grains in Ukraine
A man holds wheat grains in Ukraine

Opening Up Ukraine’s Sea Routes Is Tough but Critical

With ports cut off, the world is going hungry.

Argument
Vladislav Davidzon
Anti-tank obstacles line a street in Odesa on March 13.
Anti-tank obstacles line a street in Odesa on March 13.

Russia Has Its Sights on Odesa

Moscow doesn’t just want to gobble up Ukraine’s east.

Report
Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer
A young woman walks over a hole made by a rocket in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, on July 15. At least 23 people were killed in the attack, including three children, and more than 100 were wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.
A young woman walks over a hole made by a rocket in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, on July 15. At least 23 people were killed in the attack, including three children, and more than 100 were wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.

Is Russia a Terrorist State?

Kyiv thinks it knows the answer—while Washington debates.

Report
Robbie Gramer, Amy Mackinnon
A group of migrants prepare to use an inflatable boat to attempt an illegal crossing to Britain near the northern French city of Gravelines on July 11.
A group of migrants prepare to use an inflatable boat to attempt an illegal crossing to Britain near the northern French city of Gravelines on July 11.

Russia Is Taking Advantage of the Invasion-Stirred Migration Crisis

As food problems worsen, new refugees head for Europe.

Argument
Elisabeth Braw
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