Most Russians seem unwilling to give up the privileges the government gives them at the expense of the country's ethnic minorities, says Botakoz Kassymbekova, a historian focusing on Eastern Europe at the University of Zurich. "Russian colonialism is not reformable," she says. "Russian dissidents want to retain the empire, which
The Kyiv Independent’s reporter Oleg Sukhov sat down with Robert Kelley to discuss whether the weapon Ukraine gave up would be of much use now and if the country still has the capacity to produce a nuclear device.
With the fate of further U.S. support for Ukraine, and thereby the future of the country, up in the air as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the EU wants to send the message to Kyiv that it has its back. Kaja Kallas, the EU's new
The Kyiv Independent's Dinara Khalilova sits down with the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Steven Pifer, to discuss the political implications of Russia's attack on Dnipro with a nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile last week.
The first reports of Ukraine striking deep inside Russia with U.S.-supplied ATACMS emerged on Nov. 19, marking a long-awaited shift in White House policy that could bolster Ukraine's defense against a 50,000-strong joint Russian-North Korean force assembled against them. President Joe Biden's decision to finally grant Kyiv
When Chicagoan Chris Exline decided to expand his furniture rental company to Ukraine, he did not expect to relocate his life to a small town of 20,000 people in Ternopil Oblast. The businessman and CEO of Home Essentials initially planned to rent furniture to expats and organizations flooding in
The Kyiv Independent sat down with the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst, to discuss the future of the U.S. policy towards Ukraine as it continues its defense against Russia’s aggression.
Arvid Tuerkner’s first winter in charge of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Ukraine comes with a daunting task: swiftly mobilize investment into energy companies crippled by two years of Russian attacks. Russia began targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in late 2022 and has since then pounded
Georgia stands at a crossroads. The parliamentary elections on Oct. 26 were presented as a choice between a creeping authoritarianism and a drift into the Kremlin's orbit on one hand, and Georgia's EU aspirations on the other. A group of pro-European parties hoped to unseat the Georgian Dream, a party
A few hours after Donald Trump was declared the winner of the U.S. presidential election, the Kyiv Independent sat down with Ambassador Kurt Volker, who served as the U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations in 2017-2019, and as U.S. ambassador to NATO in 2008-2009.
Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 6, after months of repeatedly claiming he could end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in a day. To do that, he will have to do what he claims he does best — negotiate a deal. Ambassador Kurt Volker is one person
Evelyn Farkas, head of the McCain Institute — a U.S.-based think tank named after the late Republican Senator John McCain — fears the return of Donald Trump as president of the U.S. would be the worst-case scenario for Ukraine. The best-case scenario for Ukraine would be a full sweep
Ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. election, the Kyiv Independent sat down with U.S. academic and former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul to discuss what the future of U.S. politics for Ukraine looks like with both presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris
The Kyiv Independent spoke with former U.K. Defense Attaché in Moscow, John Foreman CBE, about what this development might mean for the future of Russia's war and the global landscape.
Estonia has emerged as a staunch advocate for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, pushing its NATO allies to step up military aid and make long-term commitments to Kyiv’s defense. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has been at the forefront of this effort, urging Kyiv's partners not merely to
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation on Oct. 10 said they would provide $435 million to finance a recently merged Ukrainian telecoms company. The funding is part of a deal — led by French billionaire Xavier Niel — that represents the largest foreign direct investment in
Editor's note: The interview has been edited for clarity. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Despite receiving popular support during the 2020 elections, the Belarusian opposition leader was kicked out of her country, her supporters were jailed en masse, while the country she wanted to
Democratic nations have grappled with a range of pressing issues in recent years, including the inherent flaws of long-established political systems, the erosion of international alliances, and global economic challenges, all while autocracies have been gaining power by exploiting this instability. American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum’s latest book,
Sitting at Kyiv's main train station moments before wrapping up his trip to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans had a lot to discuss. Brekelmans has just announced that the first batch of Dutch F-16s are flying Ukrainian skies, defending the country from Russian air strikes. He also announced that
Georgia and Ukraine have long been close. Witnessing revolutions that brought democratic pro-Western governments, both countries later witnessed a Russian military attack, in the Kremlin's attempt to pull both states back into Moscow's orbit. It now looks like in Georgia, 16 years after a brief war that left 20% of
In an exclusive interview, Estonian President Alar Karis emphasizes his country’s support for Ukraine, advocating for the removal of restrictions on Western-provided long-range weapons so Ukraine can strike Russian territory.
The Kyiv Independent spoke with the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink on Sept. 19 on the sidelines of the National Media Talk, an annual journalism conference held in Kyiv, and supported by USAID and Internews. The following is the transcript of the interview: The Kyiv Independent: Thank you
Daniel Bilak is a Canadian-Ukrainian lawyer living in Ukraine for decades, taking on critical roles in what has been a rollercoaster career amidst Ukraine's fight to prosper while defending its freedom. He has played a big role in attracting investment into the country, first as a lawyer and later, from
Estonian President Alar Karis is very diplomatic. His country of 1.3 million people borders Russia, while the ongoing messy election campaign in Washington, D.C. forces European diplomats to question whether the U.S. will help countries like Estonia in case of a direct confrontation with Moscow. Despite that,
The Kyiv Independent’s Natalia Yermak interviews Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer and business advisor, Daniel Bilak, about the potential for investment in Ukraine and its defense sector.
At an undisclosed detention facility, the Kyiv Independent interviewed one contract soldier captured in Kursk Oblast. To convey a better idea of what the thoughts and motivations of the average Russian soldier are in 2024, we are publishing this interview in full.
Retired U.S. General Philip M. Breedlove discusses how the delayed introduction of F-16s has limited their immediate effectiveness in Ukraine and what lessons on balancing air superiority and drone warfare NATO should learn from Ukraine war.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity. Even as Ukraine's daring incursion into Russian territory brought the full-scale war back to the headlines around the world, Moscow's forces keep grinding on the eastern front, with dire implications for the entire Donbas region. Though Kyiv's operation achieved an
In an exclusive interview at the Globsec forum in Prague, Kyiv Independent journalist Martin Fornusek spoke to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
Sitting on NATO's eastern frontier, Lithuania has been punching above its weight when it comes to aiding Ukraine. Ranked among the top military donors in terms of GDP per capita, the country of 2.8 million has provided Ukraine with helicopters, drones, armored vehicles, and air defenses, not to mention
The Kyiv Independent got exclusive access to the POWs captured during the Kursk operation and interviewed them about their motivations and experience of fighting for Russia.
Editor’s note: The transcript of this interview has been edited for clarity. Latvia has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters since the start of the all-out war. Sharing a border with both Russia and its ally Belarus, the small Baltic country understands Ukraine’s struggle all too well. As
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