Ukraine has become a war lab for the future since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Driven by necessity, it has had no choice but to rely on rapid innovations to fight back. As a result, Ukraine is at the forefront of military technology, leveraging robotics and automation to
Despite the uncertainty surrounding a potential resolution to the war, Ukrainians know one thing for sure: we must ramp up our defense capabilities to effectively defend against current and future Russian aggression. This requires the rapid development of asymmetrical solutions to counter Russia's advantages in personnel, material, and financial resources.
The recent shake-up at the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine (SFMS), responsible for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, has drawn mixed reactions. Some see it as a step toward fighting corruption and financial crime, while others view the changes with caution, uncertain about the motivations behind the overhaul.
Norway’s government has effectively become a war profiteer, we argued in a commentary in December. It is an opinion shared by a number of European politicians, and by European and Norwegian media. But rather than paying attention, Norway’s government is getting defensive. The basic facts are not up
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, concerns over the security of energy and communication infrastructure in the Baltic Sea intensified. Initially, focus was placed on the threat of hybrid attacks from Russia. However, it became evident that Russian military vessels and so-called "research" ships were actively mapping the
Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting 2025 with a bang. In a nod to U.S. President Donald Trump’s desire for a settlement in Ukraine, the Kremlin has announced its readiness for negotiations “without preconditions.” However, the devil is in the details. For Russia, “without preconditions” translates to cutting
Editor's Note: After this op-ed was published, the Kyiv Independent launched a fundraiser to save three Ukrainian newsrooms that suffered from the aid freeze. It probably made sense on paper. In his first week in office, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a 90–day freeze on U.S. foreign
The discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos were a stark reminder of how interconnected the global economy is, and how Ukraine’s stability — or lack thereof — affects us all. From military aid to economic sanctions, the steps we take now will shape the future not just for Ukraine,
“We’re at yet another turning point,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told global leaders in Davos last week, “which some see as a problem for Europe, but others call a chance. Europe must establish itself as a strong global player, as an indispensable player.” Zelensky is completely right. He is
Just one week into his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted at his approach to U.S. sanctions on Russia. On Truth Social last week, he called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “settle now and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” adding,
I first visited the looted museums of Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, in May 2024. At the time, my team at the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit and I were beginning an investigation into the illegal export of artifacts from Kherson to occupied Crimea by Russian forces
In 2022, Lithuania’s then-Culture Minister Simonas Kairys decided that performing Russian composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet "The Nutcracker" was no longer an appropriate way to celebrate the Christmas season. Lithuania is a staunch supporter of Ukraine, and Kairys, believing that Russian culture could not be separated from
Ukrainian society largely does not want to mobilize. Nearly 6 million Ukrainian men have not updated their information in military enlistment centers, and most of them likely don't have grounds for a deferment or exemption. Forced mobilization of these men is categorically opposed by society. Rosy-cheeked aunts gather and shout
Intelligence officials in the U.S. and Europe have suggested that recent incidents damaging critical cables in the Baltic Sea were accidental, according to a Washington Post report. Western geostrategic self-deception has overly emphasized fears of escalation and cornering Russia. It would be naïve to assume that the repeated cutting
The impending Donald Trump presidency has fueled market speculation that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could be reached soon — bolstered by Trump’s campaign trail rhetoric promising to end the war within days of taking office, if not sooner. Ukrainian Eurobonds have been among the best-performing assets in
Listening to the confirmation hearings of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's various appointees in Congress this week, it's becoming clear there is no meaningful grand plan from Trump to end the war in Ukraine quickly. In fact, Trump, along with figures like Keith Kellogg, the incoming Ukraine envoy, has backtracked
The Economist recently reported that Ukraine is winning the economic war against Russia for the first time since the full-scale invasion began. Although the country has yet to return to its pre-war economic levels, the trajectory is promising. To sustain and accelerate this momentum, strategic investments, particularly in education, are
Newly formed brigades within the Ukrainian military face critical challenges on the front lines. Poor management, lack of experience, and inadequate training have resulted in territorial losses, damaged equipment, and tragic casualties. NATO’s training methods often fail to align with the realities of modern warfare. Despite receiving advanced equipment
Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently boasts about the strength of his country’s economy, claiming that Western sanctions only made it stronger (while in the same breath demanding that they be lifted). In fact, “stagflation” — inflation combined with minimal growth — is coming to Russia. His war on Ukraine has caused
Like Czar Nicholas II, Russian President Vladimir Putin has misidentified his primary foe. Fighting a war of choice, he allows the real menace to his country to gather strength. China, not Ukraine, constitutes Russia’s existential threat. In the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), Nicholas fought Japan over Manchuria for concessions that
I must admit that I occasionally enjoy podcasts explaining the secrets behind well-known magic tricks (the three-shell game, mentalism, levitation, etc.). After reading recent news from Russia, I’ve come to the conclusion that these tricks offer a clue to how Russian propaganda has achieved what seems impossible to common
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
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
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
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