The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sits down with former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to speak about Europe’s role in Ukraine’s defense, Russia’s attacks on NATO territory, and the risks of escalation.

"You need something that's going to flip a switch in the Kremlin's brain," the former U.K. Prime Minister told the Kyiv Independent.

The Russian attack on Poland exposed serious holes in NATO's air defenses.

NATO's downing of Russian drones in Polish airspace this week was touted as a major success by the military alliance, after it mustered an international force using some of the most advanced technology in the world to defend its borders. But the incident has actually highlighted a major flaw in NATO and Europe's defenses — they don't have an effective way to shoot down Russia's cheap, mass produced drones. "Given the increasing mass deployment of loitering munitions and relatively inexpensive

The "unprecedented violation of Polish airspace" saw NATO activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East is more than 6,000 kilometers from Ukraine.

Europe's "Coalition of the Willing" summit on Sept. 4 struggled to gain Washington's support for its proposed plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, and doubts remain over whether or not it can be implemented, European and Ukrainian officials have told the Kyiv Independent. After the Paris summit, French President Emmanuel Macron said that 26 countries are ready to send troops or contribute other support as part of guarantees, but only after a ceasefire. Macron also said that if Russia failed to

On Sept. 2, Russia and China outlined their vision of a multipolar world that would likely see democratic Europe largely abandoned by the U.S. and facing the nightmare scenario of direct confrontation with an emboldened, war-hungry Russia. Two days later, democratic Europe responded with a plan for stopping Russian aggression in Ukraine that almost certainly won't work. The plan, presented by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, relies entirely on the goodwill of two of the very people r

The comments come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Beijing.

Despite being a global pariah as recently as last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has had a pretty good few weeks, making high-level visits East and West. After his face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last month, he capped his return to the international stage on Sept. 2 by standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his Chinese counterpart as a vision for a new world order was laid out. "We should continue to unequivocally oppose hegemonism and power politics, practice true mu

Ukraine's offensive capabilities look set to receive a significant boost in the coming months with the announcement that the U.S. has authorized a European-funded $850 million sale of 3,350 Extended-Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles. "Up to 3,350 ERAM missiles and 3,350 navigation modules to counter spoofing will be procured," Presidential Office Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak wrote on social media, confirming the deal on Aug. 28. According to U.S. NATO Ambassador Matt Whitaker, the move is

VOA was established during World War 2 in an effort to counter Nazi propaganda.

There's a new buzzword in capitals across Europe and North America — "security guarantees" — a set of measures that are supposed to ensure that if the war in Ukraine stops, Russia won't just simply reinvade Ukraine. Presidents and prime ministers across the two continents are scrambling to come up with a plan. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 28 that they'll be "set out on paper next week." But there are significant problems, not least that they rely on Russia agreeing to a ceasefire,

Questions about Trump's possibly shady relationship with Russia and the country's security services have long swirled.

In an attempt to put a positive spin on U.S.-led efforts to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vice President JD Vance on Aug. 24 claimed Moscow had made "significant concessions" during the now months-long and largely stalled peace process. Vance's comments to NBC News' "Meet the Press" come after Moscow's continued refusal to accept U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal, as well as more recently, a refusal to hold a bilateral meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky a