Natasha Lindstaedt, University of Essex After Donald Trump’s “very good and productive” phone call with Vladimir Putin earlier this week, all eyes were on his subsequent call with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Would it, as it did when they last met in the flesh on February 28 at the White House, descend into
Ph. Is the Sun setting on Ukraine’s offensive capabilities? Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images Benjamin Jensen, American University School of International Service War is a numbers game. Each side involved must marshal the supplies, troops and firepower needed to sustain the fight, thwart advancing armies and, hopefully, prevail. But it’s also a
Ph. UladzimirZuyeu/Shutterstock Viktoriia Ivannikova, Dublin City University Some long-haul flights connecting Europe and Asia are emitting 40% more CO₂ since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, my new study shows. The spike is largely due to airspace closures above conflict zones which are forcing airlines to seek alternative routes, significantly increasing
ph. French President Macron welcomes US Vice President Kamala Harris for a meeting at Elysee Palace In Paris, in November, 2021. Jo Bouroch/Shutterstock Waya Quiviger, IE University Many pundits are claiming that the 2024 contest will be the most important US election since 1860. Most Europeans would also agree. At stake is not
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham After many months of diplomatic wrangling, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was granted another lease of life at the annual ministerial council meeting last week in a messy compromise between Russia and the west. But rather than ushering in a period of renewed efforts
Alexander Titov, Queen’s University Belfast When Vladimir Putin called for a partial mobilisation in September 2022 it was a sign to ordinary Russians that – despite all the Kremlin’s denials – this was no longer a “special military operation” but a real war. In response to Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive which recaptured swaths of
Gavin E L Hall, University of Strathclyde The recapture, by Ukrainian forces, of the oil and gas platforms off the coast of Crimea known as the “Boyko towers” has both strategic and symbolic significance. Their position, between the westerly-most point of Crimea and Snake Island, in waters close to Ukraine’s border with Romania,
Title: Putin’s Prisoner Author: Aiden Aslin (Author), John Sweeney (Author), Paul Slack (Narrator), Steve John Shepherd – foreword (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher) In “Putin’s Prisoner” Aiden Aslin recounts his harrowing journey as a soldier in the Ukrainian marines, facing the brutal reality of war and becoming a prisoner of the devastating conflict between
Veronika Poniscjakova, University of Portsmouth Russia is reported to have deployed nuclear weapons in Belarus, a step that was much telegraphed earlier this year and recently confirmed by Poland. This move has caused concern in neighbouring countries and has affected security arrangements in Europe. Russia reportedly has the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal, with
Natalya Chernyshova, Queen Mary University of London For Vladimir Putin, the abortive Wagner Group coup has been a humiliating affair that exposed his lack of control over military units ostensibly fighting for Russia. It was an episode that the Russian president is unlikely to forgive in a hurry. But for the Belarusian dictator,