It has been nearly 100 days since Donald Trump returned to the U.S. presidency and Russian missiles continue to rain down on Ukrainian civilians. Despite Trump’s pledge to end the war on “day one,” peace is nowhere in sight. When will the administration acknowledge that it is failing? Trump’s initial demands were straightforward: stop fighting and start negotiating. After his first conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he announced that a complete cessation of fighting was imminen

With Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine now well into its third year, there are mounting questions about whether any sort of peace or victory is possible. Much depends, of course, on how one defines those terms. For Putin, the explicitly stated objective is to eliminate Ukraine as an independent nation-state and subject it to Russian control. Yet after two and a half years and a massive mobilization of military resources and manpower, Russia controls only aroun

In a commentary published by the New York Times this past April, J.D. Vance, now the U.S. Republican vice-presidential nominee, proposed a strategy of “defense” for Ukraine that was nothing but a recipe for defeat. There can be no doubt that his words were closely read, and well received, in Beijing and Moscow. Appeasing Russia at Ukraine’s expense would amount to a major strategic loss for the United States, and thus a victory for its adversaries. Vance’s advocacy for appeasement should surpri

Now that voters across the European Union’s 27 member states have elected the 720 members of the next European Parliament, the focus shifts to manning the institutions that will guide the bloc’s work and set its strategic priorities over the next five years. This process will take some time. But by the end of the year – following all the predictable parliamentary haggling and turmoil – it should be complete. All told, the shift in the political balance within the European Parliament was not as

The news this past week was undoubtedly met with relief in Kyiv and with grief in the Kremlin. The U.S. Congress finally broke its six-month logjam and approved a new package of military aid for Ukraine (as well as for Israel and Taiwan). And the breakthrough came only days after EU leaders also committed to providing even more support, in addition to the large aid packages they recently approved. What this will look like is still being determined, but Germany has already pledged yet another Pa

STOCKHOLM – In his annual press conference, Russian leader Vladimir Putin made it clear that he will be ready for a peace settlement with Ukraine only after he has achieved his goals, which have not changed since he launched his full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. He wants Ukraine to be demilitarized, meaning subjected to Russian military and security control of its territory; and he wants “denazification,” meaning Ukraine would be put under Russian political control. In other words, Russia wo

STOCKHOLM – Russian President Vladimir Putin had obvious reasons for hosting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at Vostochny, Russia’s new spaceport in eastern Siberia, this month. Owing to his illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, Putin is running low on both friends and ammunition. The Vostochny spaceport has a troubled history. Intended to replace the Baikonur facility in Kazakhstan, its construction was plagued by repeated delays and allegations of corruption and mismanagement. Now, it is ra

STOCKHOLM – Strange as it sounds, the European Union’s most successful policy ever has been deeply unpopular in Brussels for the past decade. But now, the view from the bloc’s political and governing institutions is changing. EU enlargement is back on the agenda, and it will remain there. The EU’s enlargement and evolution has radically changed Europe. The bloc has grown from six members to the current 27. While it was originally meant to facilitate Franco-German reconciliation in the mid-20th

Editor’s Note: Copyright, Project Syndicate. The following article was published by Project Syndicate on May 17, 2023, and has been republished by the Kyiv Independent with permission. The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. STOCKHOLM – With NATO’s mid-July summit in Vilnius fast approaching, the question on everyone’s mind is how to avoid another debacle concerning Ukraine’s prospective membership in

Editor’s Note: Copyright, Project Syndicate. The following article was published by Project Syndicate on April 21, 2023, and has been republished by the Kyiv Independent with permission. The opinions expressed in our op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. STOCKHOLM – Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis – a prospective U.S. presidential candidate – recently created a stir by describing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukr