Politics

President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, on April 23, 2026.
Politics

From showman to commander-in-chief: Zelensky's struggle to balance war, governance, and trust

by Kateryna Denisova

Riding a wave of political momentum in 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky, a showman turned wartime leader, could have hardly imagined the path his presidency would take. Some argue that Zelensky's 2019 election was less of an endorsement of his political platform, a populist one, rather a rejection of the old entrenched elite seen as ineffective and corrupt. Years later, Zelensky still faces the domestic challenges that confronted his predecessors — issues he once promised to resolve. On the internatio

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Ukraine war latest: Russia bolsters Moscow air defense as drone threat increases

Key developments on May 28: * Russia deploys new Pantsir systems on Moscow rooftops as Ukrainian drone threat grows * 3 Russian shadow fleet tankers attacked by drones near Turkey's Black Sea coast * Sweden announces 16 Gripens for Ukraine * Ukraine strikes Tuapse oil refinery again, General Staff vows 'systematic' strikes on Russia's military-industrial targets * Norway opens talks on joining French nuclear deterrence initiative Russia appears to have begun deploying new Pantsir-SMD-

What can we pencil-pushers do for Ukraine?

By the time our papers are done, the sun is up, and birds are chirping. Crossing the border to Ukraine with six cars has taken all night. During the coming weeks, mechanics will remodel the 4x4s for the front, and volunteers will repack boxes in line with hospital and front-unit needs. To me, as a Swede, one group of professionals is conspicuously absent on the volunteer side of this operation — administrators. This makes me uneasy. Who will dot the i's and cross the t's? Who will file the rep

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