In the early 19th century, one of the founding fathers of modern war studies, the Prussian general and military historian Carl von Clausewitz, commented on the Napoleonic Wars: "The conqueror is always peace-loving; he would much prefer to march into our state calmly." This remains an observation that applies to most military aggressions. Yet, Clausewitz's basic idea was ignored by most Europeans in their interpretation of Moscow's behaviour after the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014.

The unexpected negotiations between the United States and the Russian Federation that began in Saudi Arabia in February were strange. These off-line discussions in Riyadh, which included foreign ministers and presidential advisors from both countries, focused primarily on the fate of Ukraine and the future of European security. Yet, neither Ukraine nor the European Union, nor any of its member states, were present or in any other way involved in these purely bilateral face-to-face meetings. Oth

The nuclear dimension has been a key aspect of the Russo-Ukrainian War since its onset in February 2014. Behavior in this war, not just of Moscow and Kyiv but of other states as well, has been conditioned by Russia’s possession and Ukraine’s lack of weapons of mass destruction. Russia holds the world’s largest arsenal of nuclear warheads, while Ukraine has no weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Since 2014, Moscow has repeatedly reminded the world of its destructive nuclear power. In November 202

The term “fascism” is increasingly used to describe the agenda and actions of the current Russian state under Russian President Vladimir Putin. Today’s use of this label has three dimensions: It is a historical analogy to interpret present events, an expression of Ukraine's lived experience, and a scholarly classification enabling comparisons with other regimes. Understanding these perspectives sheds light on the ideological and practical dynamics behind Putinism and its impact on Ukraine and be

On July 17, 2014, the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17, a commercial plane flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, shocked the world. The crash claimed the lives of all 298 passengers and crew, including 80 children. It marked a significant escalation in Russia’s war against Ukraine that had been unfolding since early 2014. However, this tragic incident was just one of many in a turbulent year that also saw Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its covert invasion of Ukraine's Donbas region

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a seemingly significant modification of Russia’s military doctrine in a statement on Sept. 25. He revealed that the new doctrine would propose considering aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state, “with the participation or support of a nuclear state,” as a “joint attack” on Russia. Putin’s message to the West is clear: If you help Ukraine militarily, we may also target you. The Russian president further explained that the new doctrine will “cl

As becomes clearer with each passing day, the Ukrainian foray into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, which began on Aug. 6, is no minor incident. Kyiv’s unexpected operation on Russian territory could fundamentally change the character of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukraine’s attack represents a novel development in a least six ways. First, Ukraine’s Kursk incursion is a large-scale military offensive being carried out by Ukraine’s official military, unlike previous infantry raids into Russian territory

Recent reflections on the Russo-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022 offer new insights and perspectives. However, they often overlook a crucial factor: Moscow’s dismal history of honoring political and security agreements with former Soviet republics. Many analyses naively assume the Kremlin would adhere to any signed deal, ignoring Russia’s well-documented pattern of broken promises. Over the past 35 years, Russia has repeatedly demonstrated a disr

There is consensus among observers of Russia’s war against Ukraine that it should end as soon as possible. Most Ukrainians couldn’t agree more. Today, one suspects, many Russians would also not mind ceasing the carnage. Why, then, is there still not – and likely will not be any time soon – a negotiated finale to the war? Pushing for a negotiated ceasefire of some durability, not to mention sustainable peace, between Ukraine and Russia at this moment in time is futile. Following this strategy wo

Russia’s war against Ukraine and the political turmoil that has since enveloped Europe indicate a need for more than a cosmetic change to improving the European Union’s relations with its non-EU neighbors. Brussels’ earlier approaches have proven insufficient to lessen the tensions in Eastern Europe that led to war. Russia’s ongoing war too calls for novel approaches to save Ukraine from annihilation and the European Security Order from destruction. There are already several transnational struc

In 2023, several domestic developments in Russia, such as the summer mercenary mutiny by Yegveny Prigozhin or the autumn antisemitic riots in Makhachkala, indicated growing regime fragility. These and an accumulation of foreign policy challenges have renewed discussion of what happens to Putin’s system of rule after the current president leaves his post, for whatever reason. The regime’s problem might not be that it has no successor to Putin, but that there are many pretenders who would like hi

One of the favorite protagonists in journalistic investigations of deeper sources of Moscow’s recent foreign policies is the flamboyant Russian idealogue Alexander Dugin. Equipped with a long beard, sonorous voice, and extroverted personality, Dugin is a telegenic speaker who easily checks the box of an archetypical Russian philosopher. He can be different things to his various audiences – a modern Dostoevsky, a right-wing Trotsky, an Orthodox monk, a second Rasputin, or an alternative Tolstoy.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has increasing repercussions beyond Eastern Europe – political, economic, social, legal, and humanitarian. Against this background, it is worth revisiting the full-scale war’s earliest and most urgent Ukrainian request for direct Western military support. Shortly after the start of Russia’s massive invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, Kyiv launched an international campaign asking to provide Ukraine’s entire territory with a no-fly zone. While empathizing with Ukraini

Both Kyiv and the West want a full and stable truce with Moscow – sooner rather than later. Why and how Ukrainian national interest currently contradicts a ceasefire with Russia is clear: Kyiv’s problem in negotiating with Moscow is that an agreement with the Kremlin now will not lead to the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It will also not protect Ukraine from continuing Russian imperialism and anti-Ukrainianism. According to most Ukrainians and other Eastern Europeans, ta

During his recent mutiny, Russian mercenary leader and leading imperialist mouthpiece Yevgeny Prigozhin questioned the Kremlin’s propaganda line to justify Russia's war on Ukraine. His critique follows an earlier pattern of illuminating statements by Russian ultra-nationalists about Putin's regime. Known until recently only among Eastern Europe experts, Yevgeny Prigozhin (b. 1961), the head of the Kremlin-affiliated private military company Wagner Group, has become world famous. Prigozhin’s onl