Ukraine

  • Drone strikes will galvanise Russia’s forces

    While Ukraine celebrates another successful air raid on Russia deep in its heartland, Russians will see smoke billowing through the sky as another reason to heed the warnings of their President. They will head to the frontline to defend their nation’s cause in defiance of this as a personal if not corporate mission.

    A video alleged to show the aftermath of a strike on an oil refinery close to central Moscow (Credit: @UkraineWarVideosEnglish/Telegram).

    The strikes on Moscow have only bolstered a resolve to keep on striking Ukraine, according to officials, who see such moves as grave violations of their national security, which is their primary motive for the war. Their modus operandi of escalation means matters will worsen still further.

    However, President Zelenskyy sees a way to break the Eastward war machine by systematically enhancing his own. The more often his Armed Forces penetrate defences in this way, the less likely Russia’s invasion will succeed in impressive ways. Putin will have to limit his ambition, and let his people down.

  • Zelenskyy urges Putin to peace talks

    President Zelenskyy of Ukraine has urged President Putin of Russia to peace talks in an open letter published yesterday. Its prose indicates confidence in Ukraine’s chances but scepticism of Russia’s integrity. Zelenskyy implies at length that most of the world is against its acts to violate the sovereignty of the democratic State of Ukraine.

  • Ukraine has to bulk up its attempts at war

    Ukraine is finding its feet on its own in a challenging situation, but drone strikes alone are seen as a weak effort overall by people who look on warfare as a means to an end. They advocate for a consistent measure against an adversary, one that prioritises quick wins and an even more efficient finish.

    A cartoon graphic
    A cartoon graphic depicting President Zelenskyy asking for drones by a smart speaker device (Credit: Canva/Original prompt).

    Putin is clearly not quaking in his boots, even if he shakes his head in a sort of parental disapproval. His dismay over a strike on St Petersburg is not an overpowering feeling for a man who is as easily dissatisfied by matters he looks for in his armed forces by himself.

    The peacemakers want all arms dropped and for both sides to shake hands. This isn’t going to happen, and more needs to be supplied to Ukraine to continue a push to fight Russia back and to contain it inside its own territory once more. This means heavier impact by much more powerful attack strategies.

  • Russia bleeds propaganda in its claim of Ukraine nazification

    President Putin’s offensive characterisation of the State of Ukraine as Nazi-inspired has taken on propaganda status. It’s repeated at the highest level, telling Russians to handle their closest enemy as people deluded by fascist hatred.

    A new document, made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, even produces the argument in full.

    If this is how Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy is seen, it’s just another indication of the success of his leadership. He should take it as an affirmation of integrity. There’s hope for Ukraine if one President irks another in Russia.

  • Ukraine needs to get regional backing first

    Ukraine has testy relations with its European neighbours, so say top officials in its diplomatic units and academics that train the next generation in its Universities at home. The galvanising force of anti-Russia hatred only goes so far as to make them ideologically aligned, but practical realities aren’t yet in synch to put on a strong front.

    Shots of Russian military activity posted to a Telegram channel in 2022 (Credit: @Russia_Ukraine9/Telegram).

    President Zelenskyy has a tough time ahead because his voters want Europe to emerge united after war and this means reaching out to leaders who even have arguments with themselves. Russia can hope that at least this falls apart if its war ambitions are diminished.

    Putin is a key contact for the disaffected, however, and his teams will seek to be disruptive in any prolonged negotiation period. They will pick up on existing tensions and try the patience of the well-meaning. In his view, a divided Europe is as much a win as Ukraine.

  • The EU is Ukraine’s surest chance of peace

    Ukraine’s entry to the EU is a chance for lasting peace in its eyes. It translates as a clear rejection of Russia’s warmongering. The resultant hard border may be a tough ask for the faltering Union, but it’s a worthy task of Europe, one it can use to its own advantage.

    The minds that scheme for the EU’s next moves often lament their lack of real contact with Russia, saying no line really exists for it to negotiate along any real terms. Ukraine may focus lawmakers on improving Europe’s security than give more scope for its critics.

  • A Zelenskyy-Putin summit is now a possibility

    The war by Russia against Ukraine won’t be ended without a closer than close meeting with high level delegations, and with the possibility of both Zelenskyy and Putin in attendance together.

    This war is at the limits of European engagement with the world on the ground, and at a strong Russian border with Europe’s reality, it amounts to a point in time that cannot slip away easily.

    The political poise of either country is going to be determined by what the leaders say about each other – or to one another. It filters the insults. It eliminates falsehoods. In real terms, it makes it all more stable.

  • Ukraine has shown its way with war – and it works

    The State of Ukraine is beating at the gates of a country that has a full appraisal of itself in many ways. Russia has left no time to waste in covering every corner of its territory, making sure that nothing is left as a mystery to itself.

    Such mastery of its own affairs is an achievement but it can only be respected by itself. The use of it, as well as the reputations of its schools of science and military affairs, draw disdain from many in the wider international community.

    Ukraine has developed its own innovations at a pace, making production a cornerstone of its defensive capabilities. To do this they’ve required the input of a large number of nations. This has come about in terms of finance and firepower, often keeping the enemy at bay at needful times.

    The progress of this war has been hard to follow, because it looks like a two-way fight, and precious few indicators show who’s responsible for what otherwise. We can guess the larger powers are making the most impact, but it’s left to others to tell the story about this.

    Yet, in the silence of these facts it’s become a war effort of promise because Ukraine is ready for the battle as it turns on itself. The people of Ukraine have shown a willingness to keep at the frontlines and trust in the promises of others. This is a noble spirit for all to see.

    The advancement of techniques in fighting has now cemented a new reaction to hostile efforts to takeover and to control. The political drive of Putin is a mania that adds complex toxicity to the battlefield, and modern technology handles this far better than human minds, which slow in the calculation of it.

    In our times there’s a sense of optimism that old styles of aggression that go after things not a part of our modern hopes are not all-encompassing – or inevitable. They can be repudiated in favour of a new arrangement, idea, or concept that keeps its own ground.

  • Ukraine’s safe option is to evacuate its border areas

    The progress of diplomacy is slow when it comes to the stubbornness of Russia. It’s been shown that it speeds up exponentially where there is a meaningful aim in sight and something can be gained from a continuation of the talks. It has to refer directly to something that has been stated before, even if it doesn’t fully realise it’s dream.

    In terms of the land that Russia wants to have in its own possession, Ukraine stands at a crossroads in its own decision-making. Its best option is to evacuate such areas and to maintain that nothing more than a small contingent should continue to live there. It gives Russia ground but deprives it of a further reach to limit closeness to Ukraine.

    The evacuation of people is not a popular option, but it could be satisfied in either direction. A non-contingency zone like this could be a solution to a battle between two powers, one that has moral argument and another that has sufficient strength to resist more.

    It may give Russians pride in saying that named places are ‘back’ in its own possession. However, it recognises that its own expansionism is an unpopular policy. It cannot take more to gain more in the long-term, and Ukraine has to be guaranteed its own internal security.

  • Ukraine fights hard in word and deed

    Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has come out fighting against Russian misinformation on many occasions to defend his country’s record and to offer insight to a worldwide audience. It’s not easy reading because he has to state things that are true that many people say are not and use to abuse him.

    This is the nature of politics and of the real world. He knows it and he uses his platform to this advantage. He’s a responsible technician of words and has the acute sensibility needed of a leader. His people benefit widely by his advice and no doubt he has saved Ukrainian lives.

    “Fuck away to Russia. Go home. You don’t respect anybody in the United States. You don’t respect the rules. You don’t respect democracy. You don’t respect Ukraine or Europe. Go home.”

    – @ZelenskyyUa/X

    The future is a binding contract with the people, however, and he needs to focus. His country demands democracy – and more leadership. He has to change tact as soon as he’s asked to. His forward efforts are crucial now to a change of tone and of footing against Russia.

    The State of Ukraine won’t go down to live under the hand of Russia. It will have to prevail, though, by fighting hard until the end. It has to bring this war to an end as the responsible opposing force. The weight of history is behind it, but it must use it intelligently.

  • Putin believes in firmness, but Ukraine wavers

    The problem with diplomacy now is that Ukraine and Russia are sworn to disagree at all levels and on all points. These are even distinctive in the ways their respective leaders spar off with each other in less staged environs.

    The belief of most of the Russian leadership is that their President is a firm and stoical guardian of their peace and security, and any agreement has to fall in line with this almost sacred duty.

    The limitation in Ukraine by comparison is that such a bombastic military establishment doesn’t concede so easily, and its public representatives struggle to accept any moves toward peace.

    This may be appear to be a contradictory state of affairs, but clever minded students of both have found equally respectable ways to the top, and there is a semblance of balance between them that makes up a peaceful coalition.

    It’s the perspective used to define a settlement that allows two sides to coexist apart from a mutually assured destruction in the short term or over many conflicts. However, this is a theory of the outside and it doesn’t always seem so.

  • Putin needs to look beyond war

    Russia often feels it’s at the height of its powers in diplomacy. It takes its cue from what others say and because it has a lot to respond with it feels in control. However, most of this is found to be historical bias and not a lot of it translates here.

    The democratic cause Ukraine has to fight for is less historic but more pressing today than the past. It has more to it than mere feelings of nostalgia. It’s not a sentiment. It’s a reality of how people live and how we’re getting along here.

  • Ukraine is preparing for Russia in 2026

    The President of Ukraine is warning his people, and the world, that Russia is preparing for another year of war against his State. This is a bad omen because it states he feels like peace is not in sight yet.

    President Zelenskyy is a pragmatist, and he carries it across in his messages to the world on X. This has now been a familiar channel for safe communications about the enemies’ intentions.

    “Today, we again heard signals from Moscow that they are preparing to make next year a year of war. These signals are not only for us. It is crucial that our partners see them, and not only see them but also respond – especially partners in the United States, who often say that Russia wants to end the war.”

    Russia itself is not willing to speak so clearly. It sabre rattles because it has to do so. It also has enemies in some places, not just in Europe, or even North America. It has to stay strong, and think strong as well.

    However, Ukraine is showing a fortitude that signals a different message to us. It shows that Russia cannot win inevitably and that its fortunes are mere chances in an attack it launched itself.

  • What a new Ukraine could look like

    The Ukraine situation is worst above all for Ukrainians. Theirs is the country under attack. Theirs is the precarious position between Russia and the rest of Europe. Theirs is the confrontation between Putin and the freedoms they love.

    The future for Ukraine must be new if it’s to hold, and be better than the position it had before.

    We need to remember that Ukraine is a relatively new democracy that’s fighting for its survival – and for its very life. This needs to be the priority for Ukraine-leaning allies that want a resolution to conflict.

    In this path, it must follow then that Ukraine is wholly Ukrainian and its people must all be so. It cannot be divided otherwise it falls again to the power of President Putin.

    In addition, it must resist calls to bulk up its power by letting NATO members rule its airspace and use its sovereign territory. This is the sort of patchwork diplomacy that in my opinion doesn’t work.

    It’s become clear, finally, that Ukraine needs to be stronger. It has to continue its dominance of the skies to an extent that is acceptable in peacetime. This means surveillance of the Russian state.

    It may be cold out there, but it’s got to be far more dynamic. The two nations are large, much more powerful adversaries than we know and peace has to be firm.

  • Ukraine is our first line of defence in Europe

    Ukraine is fighting a battle against a Russian state that has a lot of resolve behind its campaign to overturn democratic principles and to return regions into its iron grip of paternalistic control.

    This is the bitter reality of fighting on the battlefield in places where Russia had been expelled and should no longer be seen or heard of.

    The regional difficulties that emerge as political technicalities cannot override the notion that powers a Ukrainian’s soldiers belief in his or her country as Europe’s first line of defence.