Russia’s War in Ukraine

Military news, global diplomacy, negotiations, and sanctions.

All four men sit on matching chairs in front of the flags of their respective countries, side by side, with their feet resting on the border of an ornate rug. Starmer and Zelensky's eyes are locked; the other two watch intently from either side.
All four men sit on matching chairs in front of the flags of their respective countries, side by side, with their feet resting on the border of an ornate rug. Starmer and Zelensky's eyes are locked; the other two watch intently from either side.

A Ukraine Peace Deal Could Be Getting Closer

Here’s what Trump can do to get there.

Argument
David Ignatius
Maria Semyonova, wife of a Russian soldier, poses in front of a recruitment poster in Moscow on December 17, 2023.
Maria Semyonova, wife of a Russian soldier, poses in front of a recruitment poster in Moscow on December 17, 2023.

How to Fight Putin on the Information Battlefield

The West can’t fully adopt Russia’s methods—but it should study them. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Peter Pomerantsev, Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Ukrainian troops being trained to command Challenger 2 tanks at a military facility on February 8, 2023 in Dorset, England.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Ukrainian troops being trained to command Challenger 2 tanks at a military facility on February 8, 2023 in Dorset, England.

Ukraine Can Only Rely on Itself

In any peace deal with Russia, security guarantees from outsiders won't guarantee much. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Anchal Vohra
A blond woman in a black suit sits behind a sign with her last name on it. The EU flag is seen behind her.
A blond woman in a black suit sits behind a sign with her last name on it. The EU flag is seen behind her.

Ukraine’s New U.S. Ambassador Previews Her Pragmatic Approach to Washington

“I am Ukrainian, right? I’m not a Democrat or Republican.”

Interview
Sam Skove
Dmitriev, a man with white but balding hair in a suit and wearing glasses, stands next to a young soldier in an ornate dress uniform and helmet. The younger man is giving Dmitriev the side-eye.
Dmitriev, a man with white but balding hair in a suit and wearing glasses, stands next to a young soldier in an ornate dress uniform and helmet. The younger man is giving Dmitriev the side-eye.

Putin’s Unlikely Envoy to Washington

Kirill Dmitriev is a prominent purveyor of the Kremlin’s line—but real power may lie elsewhere. This article has an audio recording

Profile
Sam Skove, John Haltiwanger
Joe Biden, in silhouette, walks up stairs to board a plane, with ominous dark clouds in the background.
Joe Biden, in silhouette, walks up stairs to board a plane, with ominous dark clouds in the background.

Biden’s Long Shadow Over Ukraine

His administration failed Ukraine at almost every turn, shaping the war to this day. This article has an audio recording

Essay
Adrian Karatnycky

Battlefield Strategy

A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.
A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.

Ukraine Is Hitting Russia Where It Hurts: Its Oil Refineries

Kyiv’s two-year offensive against Russian oil facilities has intensified, eating away at Moscow’s energy revenues.

Analysis
Keith Johnson
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
Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.
Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.

How Russia Is Escalating the Drone Arms Race

Routine strikes involve smaller, daily launches designed to keep steady pressure on Ukraine. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Yasir Atalan
The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.
The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.

The ‘Paper Tiger’ Still Has Its Shadow Fleet

Trump says Russia is in economic trouble—but there’s a loophole in the West’s sanctions.

Argument
Petras Katinas

Wartime Diplomacy

From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Trump Makes U-Turn on Ukraine Rhetoric

Trump says Ukraine can win back all of its territory.

Report
Sam Skove
A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.
A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.

The Ghost of Finlandization Is Haunting the Ukraine Debate

A 1944 armistice that traded land for peace is a poor precedent for ending Russia’s war. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Kristi Raik
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
Ukrainian soldiers hold the Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags over the coffin of Tomas Valentelis, a Lithuanian volunteer in the Ukrainian army who was killed in battle in Ukraine, at a funeral ceremony in Kyiv on April 16.
Ukrainian soldiers hold the Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags over the coffin of Tomas Valentelis, a Lithuanian volunteer in the Ukrainian army who was killed in battle in Ukraine, at a funeral ceremony in Kyiv on April 16.

To Deter Russia, Europe Needs Ukraine

A Ukraine-Baltics defense pact would bring Kyiv into Europe’s security architecture.

Argument
Fredrik Wesslau
The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.
The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.

Anchors Away

Finland’s failure to convict Russian crew clears the way for more cable-cutting attacks.

Argument
Elisabeth Braw
A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.
A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.

The China-Russia Axis Is Getting Firmer, and It’s Built on Gas

Moscow pivoted to the east a decade ago, but it is now besmitten—or captive.

Analysis
Keith Johnson

Latest Stories

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
A man walks past a closed store of the Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo in Moscow on June 8.
A man walks past a closed store of the Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo in Moscow on June 8.

Russian Sanctions Are Working but Slowly

Moscow’s military capabilities are being ground down, piece by piece.

Argument
Oleg Korenok, Swapnil Singh, Stan Veuger
putin childhood and ukraine war
putin childhood and ukraine war

How Putin Learned to Hold Deadly Grudges

Russia’s president has been shaped by decades of bitterness and revenge.

Feature
William Taubman
A woman sitting inside a bus kisses a man who is standing outside the bus and leaning in the door to kiss her.
A woman sitting inside a bus kisses a man who is standing outside the bus and leaning in the door to kiss her.

Civilian Men Are Trapped in Ukraine

Human rights and humanitarian NGOs should pay attention to Kyiv’s sex-selective martial law.

Analysis
Charli Carpenter
Fiona Hill, the U.S. National Security Council’s former senior director for Europe and Russia, testifies before the House Intelligence Committee in Washington on Nov. 21, 2019.
Fiona Hill, the U.S. National Security Council’s former senior director for Europe and Russia, testifies before the House Intelligence Committee in Washington on Nov. 21, 2019.

Fiona Hill: Putin’s Running Out of Time

A top Russia advisor to three U.S. presidents explains why the world shouldn’t fall for Moscow’s narrative that it can wait out the West in Ukraine.

Insider
Ravi Agrawal
U.S. President Bill Clinton shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin
U.S. President Bill Clinton shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin

The NATO-Russia Founding Act Is Hanging by a Thread

Moscow has torn up the rulebook, but Western officials are paying lip service to the 1990s-era deal.

Explainer
Amy Mackinnon
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks.

Biden’s Push for Lower Energy Prices Amounts to a ‘Declaration of Bankruptcy’

FP columnist Adam Tooze discusses how fluctuating oil and gas prices are changing the world as we know it.

Insider
Cameron Abadi
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting.

Vladimir Putin Often Backs Down

The idea that Russia’s leader always fights to the finish is a myth.

Argument
Maria Snegovaya, Brian Whitmore
A Russian soldier testifies against Vadim Shishimarin.
A Russian soldier testifies against Vadim Shishimarin.

Can There Be Real Justice in Ukraine?

Past tribunals offer valuable lessons for how war crimes and genocide could be prosecuted in Ukraine.

Explainer
Alexandra Sharp
Russian President Vladimir Putin waves as he walks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks about the Ukrainian peace process at the Chancellery in Berlin on Oct. 19, 2016.
Russian President Vladimir Putin waves as he walks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks about the Ukrainian peace process at the Chancellery in Berlin on Oct. 19, 2016.

The Road to a Cease-Fire in Ukraine Is Full of Pitfalls

Any deal must not repeat the fatal flaws of the Minsk agreements, which laid the path to the current war.

Analysis
Hugo von Essen, Andreas Umland
A Ukrainian flag hangs on a sculpture of the euro
A Ukrainian flag hangs on a sculpture of the euro

Europe Can’t Afford Vacillation on Ukraine

Ukrainians have paid a price in blood for an EU future.

Argument
Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon
Ground personnel unload U.S.-supplied weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, and other military hardware at Boryspil Airport near Kyiv, Ukraine on Jan. 25.
Ground personnel unload U.S.-supplied weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, and other military hardware at Boryspil Airport near Kyiv, Ukraine on Jan. 25.

How to Equip Ukraine to Break the Black Sea Blockade

Russia’s grain blockade is a global catastrophe. It can be broken without NATO intervention.

Argument
Bryan Clark, Peter Rough
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 4.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 4.

Putin’s War Was Never About NATO

Russia makes its own choices—however bad they are.

Argument
Natalia Antonova
Protesters hold signs that read "No-Fly Zone = WW3" and "Ceasefire now."
Protesters hold signs that read "No-Fly Zone = WW3" and "Ceasefire now."

Why America’s Far Right and Far Left Have Aligned Against Helping Ukraine

The discourse surrounding Russia’s war on Ukraine has created strange bedfellows.

Analysis
Jan Dutkiewicz, Dominik Stecuła
A soldier of the Ukrainian troops stands at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022.
A soldier of the Ukrainian troops stands at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022.

West Worries About Fraying Consensus Over Ukraine

Do NATO countries have the stomach for a long war?

Report
Jack Detsch
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons

Sen. Coons: Putin Is ‘Counting on Us Losing Interest’ in Ukraine War

One of the leading voices on the Senate foreign affairs panel weighs in on the conflict, Turkey’s change of heart, and NATO’s turn to Asia.

Insider
Keith Johnson, Clara Gutman-Argemí
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