Category: Blogs

Putin’s only friend: Belarus is Russia’s last remaining post-Soviet ally

By Brian Whitmore

The recent CSTO summit in Moscow highlighted Russia's lack of support even within the former Soviet region while underlining Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka's status as Vladimir Putin's last remaining ally.

Safe distance: Why Ukraine should embrace the US position and deploy land mines responsibly

By John B. Barranco

Kyiv needs to reconsider its membership in the Ottawa Treaty if it wants to keep Russia's military out.

How the US Senate could slow down Sweden and Finland’s NATO future

By David Auerswald

Now isn't the time to debate for the sake of debating: The United States and Europe will be safer with Finland and Sweden in the Alliance.

Vladimir Putin is running out of options to avoid defeat in Ukraine

By Taras Kuzio

Vladimir Putin expected a quick victory in Ukraine but now finds himself facing a catastrophic defeat that will shatter Russia's pretensions to military superpower status while threatening Putin's own authoritarian regime.

Trade facilitation and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework

By Niels Graham

At the end of May, US President Joe Biden is expected to formally launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The framework is the United States’ first attempt to create a large-scale, multilateral, Asia-focused economic strategy since 2017. For the framework to achieve broad participation, trade facilitation ought be a key component.

State of the Order: Assessing April 2022

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

Ukraine War Diary: Everyday life is slowly returning to Fortress Kyiv

By Vitaly Sych

Ukraine War Diary: A semblance of normality is returning to life in the capital but Kyiv remains a fortress city where a strong military presence and an absence of children serve as constant reminders that the country is at war.

Will Putin use chemical weapons in Ukraine?

By Ben Connable

Fears are mounting that Vladimir Putin may seek to save his failing Ukraine invasion by deploying chemical weapons, but there are reasons to believe that the Russian army is not capable of biological warfare.

Western advocates of appeasement need a crash course in Putinology

By Anders Åslund

The war in Ukraine has exposed the fundamental failure of international audiences to appreciate the true nature of modern Russia. Western advocates of appeasement clearly need a crash course in Putinology.

Ukraine wins Eurovision as European voters show song contest solidarity

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's Eurovision victory is a soft power success story that underlines the country's dominance over Russia on the information front while highlighting the strength of international solidary and support for Ukraine.