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Book reviews

 A cover of Snyder's On Freedom alongside Ukrainian cadets at a military oath ceremony in Kyiv on Sep. 8, 2023

‘Praise is not practice’ – Snyder’s new book challenges America’s understanding of freedom through comparison with Ukraine

by Kate Tsurkan

In his latest book, “On Freedom,” American scholar Timothy Snyder establishes a thought-provoking distinction between the word "liberation" and the Ukrainian wartime variant "de-occupation" to probe the fraught but necessary question: When is a person truly free? Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has left countless settlements in ruins and displaced

Haunting Ukrainian novel explores time, trauma, and identity

Haunting Ukrainian novel explores time, trauma, and identity

by Kate Tsurkan

In the midst of a full-blown agoraphobic episode, the unnamed narrator of Tanja Maljartschuk’s novel “Forgottenness,” becomes engrossed in reading old newspapers. Asked by her increasingly concerned partner what she’s looking for, she simply tells him: “I want to understand what time is.” “Time consumes everything living by

Invasion rooted in history: A review of Serhii Plokhy’s ‘The Russo-Ukrainian War’

Invasion rooted in history: A review of Serhii Plokhy’s ‘The Russo-Ukrainian War’

by Kate Tsurkan

For many people worldwide, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine appeared unprecedented and unthinkable. However, for those familiar with Ukrainian history, it unfortunately represented a familiar pattern. In his latest book, "The Russo-Ukrainian War: A Return to History," the historian Serhii Plokhy explores how the myths deeply intertwined with Russian statehood

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2:29 PM

Baltic countries disconnected from Russia's power grid.

"This legacy of occupation meant that Moscow - which uses energy as a weapon - had control of the frequency," the ministry said in a statement on X. "That’s a critical element in maintaining reliable power supply. That dependency ends today!"
9:36 PM

Zelensky, Trump may meet in Washington next week.

"I will probably be meeting with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky next week, and I will probably be talking to President (Vladimir) Putin. I'd like to see the war end," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
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