Section: Research & Analysis
Birthday of the “grain corridor” and the day of its end. How Ukraine ended up in a maritime blockade again and what threats it poses
July and August traditionally mark the beginning of the harvest season in Ukraine. Consequently, grain volumes increase in the domestic market, which need to be exported since Ukraine has no issues with meeting its own needs. Typically, during these months, traders actively ramp up grain exports while keeping a portion in storage to sell later. A...
Erdogan and the return of interned heroes of Azovstal
Before the Vilnius NATO Summit, which could open the doors to a new geopolitical reality for Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy embarked on a small tour of countries that may not be such staunch supporters of Ukraine, but that does not make them any less important for Ukrainian Euro-Atlantic path. This particularly applies to Turkey, which not only...
Shield for Europe: Why the initiative for joint air defense system divided allies
Air defense is an issue that is relevant not only to Ukraine but also to other European states. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has demonstrated the importance of protecting critical infrastructure from missile strikes and drone attacks in such conflicts. It has been revealed that ground-based air defense and missile defense systems...
Inferiority complex: why the special status of English does not guarantee prosperity
Concerns about the restriction of the Ukrainian language The Ukrainian language had barely recovered from centuries of bans, persecution, and suppression when a new threat loomed over it. On Constitution Day, on June 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted an urgent draft law to the Verkhovna Rada titled On the Use of the English Language in...
Did Stalin “raise” Donbas? A myth of Soviet propaganda created at the expense of Europe
How Europeans initiated the industrial Donbas, why the region became a stronghold of resistance against everything “Western,” and the price paid for “Stalin’s industrialization” is discussed in the following material from RBC-Ukraine. The history of the Donbas region, like a melting pot, blended and transformed the...
Instead of confiscation: why is the EU looking for a new mechanism for frozen Russian assets?
After February 24, 2022, media headlines have been competing in estimating tens and hundreds of billions of frozen Russian assets in various countries, while compensating for the damages caused by Russia’s aggression is seen as a legitimate goal for their further use. However, Ukraine’s perspective and that of the states holding...
Could Prigozhin “take Moscow” at all: what forces are needed to control a 12-million metropolis?
The assessment of Prigozhin’s forces and the real situations when troops were involved in the struggle for power in Moscow itself provides a fairly clear answer. The forces he directed there indicate that the “March on Moscow” conducted during his coup attempt was unlikely to be realized. Despite the leader of the Wagner Group...
Cluster munitions for Ukraine. Weapons for the offensive
The administration of President Biden has announced that the United States is providing Ukraine with 155mm cluster munitions (M-483 and older versions) and rocket projectiles (M-26 and above) for M-270 and Himars systems. Naturally, countries that have signed the convention on prohibition have reacted to this. Germany, as expected, stated that it...
Investments in Ukraine and risk insurance during wartime: how are they related and what should be done about it?
The idea of revitalizing Ukraine’s economy and attracting the necessary financial resources for this is usually associated with the post-war period. This seems understandable, as it is difficult to make plans while a part of the country is occupied and fierce battles are ongoing. However, this does not mean that the economy can wait until...
Many in the West have come to terms with Russia’s annexation of Crimea. This is a mistake
Non-Ukrainian politicians and analysts who deal with Russia and Ukraine widely recognize the motives behind the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, as destructive and genocidal. Therefore, they agree that Kyiv should liberate as much of mainland Ukraine (or even the entire territory) as possible through both military and non-military means....