Ukraine

After Nord Stream 2, time has come for Nord Stream 1 to go
Europe made a bold move by shutting down Nord Steam 2 on 22 February. Now, Germany can and should scale back or terminate flows via Nord Stream 1, writes Sergiy Makogon.
The Brief – Is ‘peace’ a dirty word?
Several EU leaders have voiced ideas for a ceasefire and peace agreement in Ukraine, but Kyiv dismissed them out of hand, comparing them to the attempts to appease Hitler in 1938.
The Brief – Demoralising is ugly, not delivering is worse
Why do some European leaders keep saying that it may take decades before Ukraine can join the EU? Out of a pure sense of self-preservation.
‘The key moment for Ukraine is the growing international support’
The only way to stop Russian fascism is to make Russia suffer deep military defeat in the war against Ukraine, writes Roman Rukomeda.
The Brief – The fall of Azov
The surrender of the Azov battalion in Mariupol is a milestone in Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. In terms of what will follow, there are two options.
‘EU politicians advocating to save Putin’s face are wrong’
European politicians who are appealing for making a peace treaty with Russia or arguing about the need to "help Putin save his face" are sharing responsibility for all Russian war crimes in Ukraine and the blood of Ukrainian civilians and children, writes Roman Rukomeda.
The Brief – Why Putin cannot win
Vladimir Putin’s 9 May speech was highly anticipated. The general expectation was that he would double down on his war effort in Ukraine and sternly warn the West against further interference in what Russia considers its backyard.
Three imperilled neighbours on this Europe Day
The European Union has to decide its future also by responding to the latest calls for EU membership from Ukraine and the two other Associated states, Georgia and Moldova, writes Tinatin Akhvlediani.
‘I never write putin and russia with a capital letter’
The opportunity to reach a Western audience is a great chance to deliver the truth about Russian aggression against Ukraine, writes Roman Rukomeda.
The Brief – What will Putin celebrate on 9 May?
For those who don’t know Russia well, we should start by saying that in that country, 9 May is elevated to a sort of religious extravaganza, like Easter and Christmas wrapped into one.
The Brief – Life after Putin
The war in Ukraine will end at some point, but the way Europe diplomatically deals with Russia will never be the same again.
A letter from a Russian friend
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is so brutal and ruthless because this is where the fate of the so-called "Russian world” is decided, writes Orhan Dragaš.
‘Russia commits agricultural terrorism in Ukraine’
Despite the Russian aggression, Ukraine continues to produce grain and oilseeds and remains an exporter, although crops are exported by land, as as Russia has blocked all Ukrainian sea ports in Black and Azov seas, writes Roman Rukomeda.
The Brief – Is the EU at war with Putin?
Helping Ukraine against the aggressor is a duty for all Europeans but there is a fine line between assisting Kyiv and waging war by proxy against Vladimir Putin, who has a nuclear button.
‘Ukraine is getting ready for a long war’
A majority of Ukrainians think that the war with Russia will take a couple of months or longer - up to the end of the year – but it will culminate with a victory over Putin’s Russia, writes Roman Rukomeda.
‘Ukraine will never leave its occupied territories and people’
Russia’s plans to conduct referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories to establish ‘People's republics’ are a demonstration of total lack of understanding of the Ukrainian state and its people, writes Roman Rukomeda.
‘Russian mines are a big crime against Ukraine and humanity’
Among the latest deadly novelties of Russia is a mine called "Medallion", equipped with a seismic sensor to detect the approach of a person and the release of explosive charge into the air, writes Roman Rukomeda.
The Brief – Getting ready for a long war
On 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine. The next day, EU leaders gathered for an extraordinary summit. At that time, they thought the war would only last a few days... This seems like ancient history now.
Inflation: The high price of Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels
The current rise in inflation is being driven by a rise in fossil fuel prices, and a tightening of the monetary policy by the European Central Bank (ECB) would not help against high prices and might even come at a great cost to the economy, argues Ernest Urtasun.
‘Russian aggression now focused on Eastern and Southern Ukraine’
There is a great hope for Ukrainians that the increasing military support from NATO and EU countries will change the situation on the front line and launch a Ukrainian offensive, writes Roman Rukomeda.
‘Ukraine starts to recover from Russian aggression’
In an area of 50 km around the Ukraine capitals the scars of the Russian aggression are still visible, but hundreds of volunteers are helping the return to normal life, writes Roman Rukomeda.
Europe must play its key role in starving the Russian war machine
According to some estimates, switching off the Russian oil and gas pump for just two months may be sufficient to starve the war machine of resources and force Russia to abandon its aggressive war, writes Kateryna Markevych.
‘Ukrainians will not accept peace at the cost of its territories and people’
According to a sociological survey 82% of Ukrainians believe in victory over Russia, and only 1% would accept peace at Russia’s conditions, writes Roman Rukomeda.