Since the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, the question on everyone's mind is whether Europe, including the U.K., can replace the military assistance the U.S. is giving Ukraine. The short answer is no. The reasons for this are a mix of politics and
In early 2022, the Ukrainian team of an Austrian wood processing company held a meeting in a bomb shelter during an air raid alert. Despite a Russian strike nearby, their focus wasn't on relocation but on building a new logistics center in the country. A year later, their determination paid
Editor's Note: Stanislav Aseyev is a Ukrainian writer, journalist, veteran, and a survivor of the Izolyatsia prison in Russia-occupied Donetsk, infamous for its torture of prisoners. He was the first Ukrainian journalist to see to the Sednaya prison and death camp in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime
As a direct participant in the process of establishing the new regulatory framework, I wish to initiate a public debate on the biggest challenge facing Ukraine’s financial services market: the lack of consistency in the institutional capacity of financial regulators — an issue made more pressing by ongoing military challenges.
Why is my life considered more important than a Ukrainian life? Why am I considered more important than the people I meet in Ukraine, who — even in the darkest times — still often extend such kindness and hospitality that you can't help but fall in love with this country? This isn’
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is determined to confront China economically and strategically. This is a difficult problem, because so many goods purchased in the United States have supply chains with deep roots in the Chinese manufacturing base. If new U.S. tariffs cause the Chinese renminbi to depreciate, as
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
To understand recent fears about the possible escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine into a nuclear conflict, we must revisit its beginnings, where the groundwork for this crisis was laid. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, articulated the wager underpinning Russia’
French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Premier Donald Tusk met on Dec. 12 in Warsaw. High on the agenda was how to support Ukraine in the “new Transatlantic context.” On the sidelines of the visit, the Élysée emphasized that “France’s position is that it is necessary to support Ukraine
After a decade-long civil war, Bashar al-Assad was firmly ensconced in Damascus — a far cry from the summer of 2012 and again in 2015, when policymakers, analysts, and pundits alike believed his rule was on the brink of collapse. The intervention of the Russian Air Force in the fall of
Something is wrong with YouTuber Johnny Harris’ lens — not the one he uses to film himself, but his view of Eastern European history. Known for his unquenchable thirst for maps and archival documents, Harris has become a prominent voice on geopolitics and history. If you're unfamiliar with him, Harris developed
Ukraine is exhausted. Low on manpower, ammunition, and, most importantly, morale, the country is slowly reckoning with the fact that the ongoing war may be unwinnable on the battlefield — at least for now. According to a Gallup survey published on Nov. 19, 52% of Ukrainians now say they want their
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity. A decade ago, thousands of Ukrainians united to protest a government that sidelined the will of the people to serve its own interests. This revolution ignited a transformative journey toward a European future and a Ukrainian society where the
Ukraine is a nation of reforms, constantly striving for improvement through roadmaps and input from domestic and international partners. These efforts have not been in vain. As we mark International Anti-Corruption Day, it’s crucial to reflect on our achievements and build on the progress made. The past decade, shaped
The recent BRICS+ summit in Kazan, Russia — featuring Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — had some observers hailing it as the dawn of an anti-Western world order, led by Moscow and Beijing. The partnership between Russia and China is undeniably formidable. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi
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
On Oct. 26, Georgia held parliamentary elections under a proportional system with a 5% threshold. According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling Georgian Dream party secured 53.93% of the vote, earning 89 parliamentary mandates but falling short of a constitutional majority. Opposition parties received 37.79% of the
Unlike during his first term in the White House, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump appears determined to keep many of his campaign promises. His cabinet nominations — from the Kremlin-friendly Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence to the conspiracy-loving vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as Secretary of Health and
The European Parliament has long upheld democracy, human rights, international law, and peace. This tradition has been especially evident in its robust response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. As the Parliament enters its 2024-2029 term, we examine its political stance over the past two years and assess what Ukrainians
The meteoric rise of hardcore nationalist Călin Georgescu in Romania’s first-round presidential election over the weekend is nothing short of remarkable. Georgescu surged from just a few percentage points in polls weeks before the vote to claim over 23% of the electorate, defeating candidates from the country’s two
Georgia finds itself at a crossroads. The Oct. 26 elections, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory, have brought to the surface deep concerns about the integrity of our democracy. Civil society organizations, independent media, and the international democratic community have all raised alarms about widespread irregularities during
Joe Rogan lashed out at Ukraine on his latest podcast, expressing strong criticism of the United States for lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied weapons to target Russian territory and launching an expletive-laden rant accusing President Volodymyr Zelensky of pushing to “start World War III.” Love
Since the West imposed unprecedented economic pressure on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country’s trade practices have undergone a dramatic transformation, with Russian international trade increasingly occurring in the shadows. Access to the goods it needs now depends on constant scheming. Given that Russia operates under
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on Nov. 23, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to The Counteroffensive, click here. For a brief period just over 30 years ago, Ukraine possessed the third-largest
Following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic congresswoman from New York, publicly appealed to those who had voted for both her and Trump. She wanted to know what motivated such an apparently inconsistent choice, and the predominant answer she heard was
Donald Trump’s re-election has sent political shockwaves across the Atlantic, pushing Germany — Ukraine’s second-largest donor — into a decisive moment. The election has intensified internal divides and sparked a reckoning over Germany’s role in European security. For years, German leaders deferred tough decisions on Ukraine, relying on U.
The recent hike in Russia’s key interest rate to 21% by the Central Bank in late October has stirred renewed debate among media and economists about the Russian economy’s outlook and how economic trends could influence Kremlin policies. Today, few predict an "imminent collapse" of the Russian economy.
With Donald Trump back in office, Europe faces a new era of uncertainty. The once-reliable comfort of American support — a cornerstone of European security — is now more in question than ever. For decades, Europe has assumed the U.S. would always be there to pick up the slack. But those
Over nearly 1,000 days of full-scale war, Russia has attacked Ukraine’s energy system more than 1,000 times. Despite this relentless onslaught, Ukrainian power engineers have achieved a historic feat: maintaining energy supply stability by repeatedly repairing equipment, sometimes three or four times after consecutive strikes. This remarkable
As we mark 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, members of the Kyiv Independent’s staff have paused to reflect. These reflections offer a glimpse into the profound impact of war — not only on a nation’s struggle for survival but on those who bear
Ukraine and the rest of Europe anxiously followed the U.S. presidential election results on Nov. 6, which ultimately reported Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as the winners, with the Republican Party also securing majorities in the House and Senate. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General
The implications of Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House on Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine are being minutely dissected. Will he deliver on his boast that he can end the war within 24 hours? How will he do that — if he can? At what cost to
