Alexandr Burilkov
Faced with the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, and with military costs mounting, the Russian elite has splintered into bickering factions. Alexandr Burilkov argues that the nationalist information space is exerting significant pressure on Putin to continue and escalate the war. This makes negotiations and a lasting ceasefire unlikely Read more
Nikola Mikovic
Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian critical energy infrastructure have forced Kyiv to ask Israel for help. According to Nikola Mikovic, the Jewish State could eventually start providing weapons to Ukraine, although Israeli officials will unlikely publicly confirm it Read more
Cindy Regnier
Renewed tensions between Russia and the West amid war in Ukraine have focused attention on the ‘Suwałki gap’. According to Cindy Regnier, this corridor along the Lithuanian-Polish border has been increasingly securitised. Still, any attempt to seize control over it would gain the Russians little Read more
Aida Halilovic
Aida Halilovic argues that Putin’s (flawed) narrative of his invasion of Ukraine is best understood through a historical lens. She highlights the substantial minorities who now live in non-kin states in Europe, and their place in the security landscape of Europe To understand Russia’s rhetoric, it is important to grasp the role that minorities have […] Read more
Zarina Burkadze
Promoting democracy without challenging external autocratisers and checking local democratic elites may be counterproductive, argues Zarina Burkadze. Great power competition has always had an impact on the domestic politics of small nations, and this is apparent in the conflicts and international politics of today Read more
Nitesh Anchan
Russia justified its invasion of Ukraine mainly on political grounds, but also claimed a cultural reason: the construction of a Eurasian civilisation. To Nitesh Anchan and Priya Vijaykumar Poojary, the Russia-Ukraine war signifies that global politics in the 21st century will be dominated by the rhetoric of the civilisation state Read more
Paul Whiteley
Paul Whiteley, assessing Russia's difficulties and Putin's potential next steps in the offensive against Ukraine, wonders whether it is time for NATO to issue a nuclear guarantee to Ukraine in order to prevent a further escalation of the conflict Read more
Simon Schunz
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine challenges the EU’s flagship ‘Green Deal’ project. Current measures to cope with rising energy prices and the risk of power cuts run counter to the Deal’s transformational logic. Simon Schunz argues that an alternative solution lies in understanding this crisis as a catalyst for Europe’s socio-ecological transition Read more
