War in Ukraine

Putin and Lukashenka are locked in a dysfunctional axis of autocrats

By Brian Whitmore

Vladimir Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka are bound together in an axis of autocrats but the two dictators are also locked in a game of cat and mouse over Kremlin efforts to expand Russian influence in Belarus.

The world cannot ignore Putin’s Ukraine obsession

By Peter Dickinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin has published a new essay on the "historical unity" of Russians and Ukrainians that illustrates the imperial thinking behind his ongoing seven-year war against Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Security Service reform plans under threat

By Olena Scherban and Olena Halushka

Ukrainian MPs will vote on reform of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) later this week, but serious questions remain over the effectiveness of the draft law in its current form.

Reassessing RuNet: Russian internet isolation and implications for Russian cyber behavior

By Justin Sherman

This issue brief examines recent “RuNet” developments and explores how they could elevate national security risks for the United States and Europe by changing the internet landscape in Russia and potentially shifting Russian cyber behavior.

Putin will use weaponized pipeline to blackmail Europe

By Inna Sovsun

Vladimir Putin makes little secret of his plans to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, but will Western leaders act before the energy infrastructure project enters service in the coming months?

Will Zelenskyy target all Ukrainian oligarchs equally?

By David Clark

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently unveiled plans to curb the political influence of the country's powerful oligarchs, but skeptics question whether he will target oligarch ally Ihor Kolomoisky.

State of the Order: Assessing June 2021

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

Why Germany’s relationship with Putin’s Russia is a problem for Ukraine

By John Lough

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel on July 12, they will find plenty of common ground in their analysis of Russia and their difficult relationships with Vladimir Putin.