Russia’s War in Ukraine

News, analysis, and background on military campaigns, battlefield technology, and global diplomacy, negotiations, and sanctions.

The first batch of the Ukrainian-made drone missile "Peklo" is shown before its delivery to the Ukrainian military in Kyiv on Dec. 6, 2024.
The first batch of the Ukrainian-made drone missile "Peklo" is shown before its delivery to the Ukrainian military in Kyiv on Dec. 6, 2024.

A Complacent Pentagon Needs to Learn From Ukraine

The Europeans are deeply engaged with Kyiv on defense technology, but Washington is lagging behind.

A Patriot air defense system protects an airport used for weapons deliveries to Ukraine in Jasionka, Poland, on March 6.
A Patriot air defense system protects an airport used for weapons deliveries to Ukraine in Jasionka, Poland, on March 6.

How to Get More U.S. Weapons to Ukraine

Opening Europe’s 150 billion euro defense fund to U.S. companies could seal the deal. This article has an audio recording

A blond woman in a black suit sits behind a sign with her last name on it. The EU flag is seen behind her.
A blond woman in a black suit sits behind a sign with her last name on it. The EU flag is seen behind her.

Battlefield Strategy

A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.
A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.

Ukraine Is Hitting Russia Where It Hurts: Its Oil Refineries

Kyiv’s two-year offensive against Russian oil facilities has intensified, eating away at Moscow’s energy revenues.

Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.
Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.

The Mood on the Front Line, Three Years On

Ukrainian troops watch with anxiety as the United States moves closer to talks with Russia over the war.

Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.
Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.

How Russia Is Escalating the Drone Arms Race

Routine strikes involve smaller, daily launches designed to keep steady pressure on Ukraine. This article has an audio recording

The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.
The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.

The ‘Paper Tiger’ Still Has Its Shadow Fleet

Trump says Russia is in economic trouble—but there’s a loophole in the West’s sanctions.

Wartime Diplomacy

From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Trump Makes U-Turn on Ukraine Rhetoric

Trump says Ukraine can win back all of its territory.

A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.
A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.

The Ghost of Finlandization Is Haunting the Ukraine Debate

A 1944 armistice that traded land for peace is a poor precedent for ending Russia’s war. This article has an audio recording

U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.
U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.

An Emerging Trump Doctrine?

Success in the Middle East could be a template for a new approach to Russia’s war.

Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.
Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.

What the Next Round of Sanctions Against Russia Should Look Like

Moscow has successfully restructured its economy on an impressive war footing, but there are weaknesses under the hood. This article has an audio recording

Regional Dynamics

U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.
U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.

A Russia-NATO War Would Look Nothing Like Ukraine

Moscow will seek to avoid a full-on war and focus on breaking the bloc’s resolve. This article has an audio recording

Ukrainian soldiers hold the Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags over the coffin of Tomas Valentelis, a Lithuanian volunteer in the Ukrainian army who was killed in battle in Ukraine, at a funeral ceremony in Kyiv on April 16.
Ukrainian soldiers hold the Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags over the coffin of Tomas Valentelis, a Lithuanian volunteer in the Ukrainian army who was killed in battle in Ukraine, at a funeral ceremony in Kyiv on April 16.

To Deter Russia, Europe Needs Ukraine

A Ukraine-Baltics defense pact would bring Kyiv into Europe’s security architecture.

The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.
The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.

Anchors Away

Finland’s failure to convict Russian crew clears the way for more cable-cutting attacks.

A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.
A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.

The China-Russia Axis Is Getting Firmer, and It’s Built on Gas

Moscow pivoted to the east a decade ago, but it is now besmitten—or captive.

Latest Stories

A masked Russian soldier takes part in a counterterrorism exercise at an Interior Ministry base near Moscow on Sept. 4, 2007.
A masked Russian soldier takes part in a counterterrorism exercise at an Interior Ministry base near Moscow on Sept. 4, 2007.

Russia Is Stepping Up Its Covert War Beyond Ukraine

New data suggests a troubling new phase in the Kremlin’s tactics that directly threatens the lives of Europeans.

European Central Bank in Frankfurt
European Central Bank in Frankfurt

Russian Assets Are Europe’s Trump Card

With the incoming administration seeking to cut U.S. aid to Ukraine, Europe should tap the Kremlin’s frozen reserves.

A Ukrainian tank crew member of the 68th Jaeger Brigade stands on a Leopard 1A5 tank near Pokrovsk, the eastern Donetsk region, on Dec. 13.
A Ukrainian tank crew member of the 68th Jaeger Brigade stands on a Leopard 1A5 tank near Pokrovsk, the eastern Donetsk region, on Dec. 13.

How We Got Here in the Russia-Ukraine War

Our must-read articles on the state of the conflict, its impact on the global order, and the chance for peace.

French soldiers participate in a NATO military exercise at the Hohenfels training area in southern Germany, on Sept. 14, 2023.
French soldiers participate in a NATO military exercise at the Hohenfels training area in southern Germany, on Sept. 14, 2023.

Will European Troops Enforce a Cease-Fire in Ukraine?

France is drumming up support for a peacekeeping force. It may be Europe’s only option to prevent an even bloodier war.

Kaja Kallas stands and talks into several press microphones.
Kaja Kallas stands and talks into several press microphones.

Ukraine Backers Make Last-Ditch Effort to Seize Russian Assets

With Trump heading to the White House again, it’s now or never to finance Kyiv, advocates say.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Élysée Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Élysée Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024.

Can Trump Really End the War in Ukraine?

A Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize winner weighs in on his prospects.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center) speaks during a meeting with Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union, in Kyiv on Dec. 9.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center) speaks during a meeting with Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union, in Kyiv on Dec. 9.

What a Victorious Ukraine Can Offer Europe

With trans-Atlantic cooperation under scrutiny, a battle-tested land power will be ready to step into the breach.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump meet during the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump meet during the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.

Trump Should Make Putin Wince Before They Sit Down to Talk

A maximum pressure campaign would raise the likelihood of a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Kim and Putin meet in North Korea
Kim and Putin meet in North Korea

China and North Korea Throw U.S. War Plans Out the Window

The intervention of Asian powers in Europe nullifies decades of U.S. strategic planning.

Olena Gerasymyuk, a Ukrainian poet and volunteer paramedic with the Hospitallers medical battalion, works in a medical evacuation bus in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, on Feb. 11, 2023.
Olena Gerasymyuk, a Ukrainian poet and volunteer paramedic with the Hospitallers medical battalion, works in a medical evacuation bus in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, on Feb. 11, 2023.

Ukraine’s Missing Medical Mobilization

Kyiv’s reluctance to fully mobilize means that frontline medical units are perpetually short on staff.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump walk together at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump walk together at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.

The Pitfalls for Europe of a Trump-Putin Deal on Ukraine

Russian interest in peace is no given, and Europe may not be on board.

A tattered blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag is seen along a snow-covered road beneath a pale cloudy sky. Bare trees line the road.
A tattered blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag is seen along a snow-covered road beneath a pale cloudy sky. Bare trees line the road.

The Price of a Bad Peace

The West is tired. Putin is not.

Russian conscripts in uniform holding their winter hat in their hands stand in attention in a line.
Russian conscripts in uniform holding their winter hat in their hands stand in attention in a line.

Putin Is Throwing Human Waves at Ukraine but Can’t Do It Forever

The Russian meat grinder strategy is terribly effective, terribly wasteful, and boundlessly cruel.

A group of young children all wearing the same red shirt and khaki pants take part in a ceremony.
A group of young children all wearing the same red shirt and khaki pants take part in a ceremony.

The Only Way to Achieve Lasting Peace in Ukraine

History shows that security arrangements alone will not be enough.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Sept. 26.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Sept. 26.

Biden’s Complicated Ukraine Legacy

A vital but halting supply of military aid has opened up the U.S. president to criticism from all sides.

A Ukrainian government expert examines remnants of shells and missiles used by the Russian army to attack the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
A Ukrainian government expert examines remnants of shells and missiles used by the Russian army to attack the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

New Missiles Won’t Change Ukraine’s Broken War Math

The incoming Trump administration needs to learn from Biden’s mistakes.

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