Scott Lucas, University of Birmingham Facing economic and military difficulties in his invasion of Ukraine, the Russian president Vladimir Putin popped up this week in Iran’s capital Tehran. His plan was to show the world that, despite sanctions on Moscow and international aid for Ukraine’s resistance, he was not isolated. Putin got his photo opportunity with Iran’s supreme leader, Ali …
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Ukraine war: why Moscow could go nuclear over Kyiv’s ‘threats’ to Crimea
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham and Tatyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy As the war in Ukraine is about to head into its sixth month, the ferocity with which it is fought shows no signs of abating – neither on the battlefield, nor in the rhetoric emerging from Moscow and Kyiv. Russian attacks continue to target Ukrainian cities such …
Read More »Ukraine war: fears that Belarus might invade on Russia’s side are growing
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham and Anastasiya Bayok, University of Hamburg As the war in Ukraine drags on and Russia’s attempts to gain significant ground in Donbas stall, concerns are being raised once again about the possibility of Belarus opening a second front. This, so the logic goes, would require Ukraine to redeploy forces from the front lines in the …
Read More »Ukraine: Russian attitudes to Ukrainians can help to explain the atrocities
EPA-EFE/Anatoly Maltsev Kseniya Oksamytna, City, University of London Speaking to journalist Sophie Raworth on the BBC’s Sunday Morning show recently, former war crimes prosecutor Sir Howard Morrison, now an advisor to the Ukraine government, highlighted the dangers posed by the negative – often insulting and dehumanising – statements made by some Russian politicians and media personalities about Ukraine and its …
Read More »Russia’s rouble is now stronger than before the war – western sanctions are partly to blame
Kirill Shakhnov, University of Surrey In the days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the west imposed sanctions, the rouble collapsed. The number of roubles to one US dollar quickly fell from about 78 to 138 – a huge move in the world of forex (foreign exchange), and terrifying for those with their wealth in the Russian currency. …
Read More »War sent America off the rails 19 years ago. Could another one bring it back?
In this March 2003 photo, Iraqi soldiers surrender to U.S. Marines following a gunfight. The war has loomed over geopolitical events for the past 19 years. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch, File) Jason Opal, McGill University At the start of 2022, the right to vote, the rule of law and even the existence of facts seemed to be in grave peril in …
Read More »Military history is repeating for Russia under Putin’s regime of thieves
Tony Ward, The University of Melbourne In explaining the reasons for Russia’s unexpected military weakness in Ukraine, few have expressed it better than The Economist. The magazine noted “the incurable inadequacy of despotic power” and “the cheating, bribery and peculation” that is “characteristic of the entire administration”. Peculation means embezzlement. It’s a word rarely used nowadays; these words were in …
Read More »Ukraine war: despite Russia’s success in Donbas, this is only the end of the beginning
Frank Ledwidge, University of Portsmouth When considering the current position of the war in Ukraine, it’s worth remembering that the assumption of Russian commanders when they began their “special military operation”, was that the whole thing would be complete within two weeks. So much for assumptions. What they face now is a protracted attritional battle which may go on for …
Read More »Ukraine war: crisis between the west and Russia gives Turkey a chance to strengthen its hand at home and abroad
Ali Bilgic, Loughborough University The longstanding neutrality of Sweden and Finland was abandoned when both states submitted formal applications to Nato. But they are facing an unexpected obstacle on the way to membership: Turkey. While Turkey supports the alliance’s “open door” policy, Ankara’s veto reflects its aims to change the status quo and make gains in three areas: the eastern …
Read More »Russia’s long journey from partner of the west to pariah reflects a huge failure of its diplomacy
Anna-Sophie Maass, Lancaster University Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine two months ago, the world has grown used to the sight of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky’s diplomatic initiatives, initially from hiding in the besieged capital, Kyiv, and more recently in open meetings with a range of world leaders, have made him one of the most recognisable faces in …
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