Europe does not become a war-monger by heavily investing in its defense industries. Nor does it abandon the idea of pacifism by building serious military strength. In today’s world, an armed pacifist may simply stand a better chance of survival. Ukraine’s experience offers

This week, I spoke with smart, well-educated foreigners. They expressed sympathy for Ukraine. But at the same time, they questioned whether Russia truly wages a war of annihilation against Ukraine and Ukrainians. “Why doesn’t Putin target trains with missiles?” they asked me.

Trump’s acceptance of Putin’s proposal for hockey matches between Russians and Americans is an attempt to mimic the U.S.-China ping-pong diplomacy of the 1970s. Back then, the U.S. and China started with ping pong and ended with Beijing distancing itself from the USSR. Now, Trump

The informal EU leaders’ retreat on European defense is a welcome step. European Council President António Costa is right—the debate is no longer about if but how. I’d add that it’s just as crucial to agree on when. The answer is simple: now. The EU has no time to waste. The

1. Secretary Rubio claimed that Russia’s invasion has set Ukraine back a century. This is an exaggeration. 100 years ago, Ukraine was under Stalin’s rule. Less than a decade later, he orchestrated a genocide, starving millions of Ukrainians to death. In 1930s, the US turned a

Tenure of @SecBlinken as Secretary of State has concluded. A consummate diplomat, he stood resolutely with Ukraine during the Russian invasion, often going above and beyond what many believed was possible. Guided by a “whatever works” approach, he championed strong decisions

Dear @lvassy, I am honored to have the opportunity to share my experience of wartime diplomacy with Sciences Po students and the broader community. Sending my best wishes from Ukraine, and I look forward to our engagement.

As I predicted here a week ago, Putin has thrown Assad under the bus to prolong his war in Ukraine. His resources are scarce, and he is not as strong as he pretends. To those claiming Russia cannot be defeated and that Ukraine must concede, or to those arguing the West lacks

Today marks 30 years since Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum. Pressured by a coordinated position from Russia and the United States, Ukraine gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for modest financial compensation and security assurances. This

I am proud to have joined the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School as a non-resident Senior Fellow. While I will remain based in Ukraine, this affiliation with such a distinguished institution will enable me to continue advocating for

Let me show you how fakes work with a simple example. October: A TV channel in San Antonio, USA, airs an original segment about a “Game of Thrones” chair that a local fan of the series purchased for $1.5 million. December: The same segment, now edited with a fake caption and

Authorities in Georgia blame foreign entities for the protests, but the blame lies with them. They’ve gone from being pro-Russian to turning Georgia into Russia, and people are pushing back. To avoid the “Ukrainian scenario,” they must concede to protesters’ demands now. If they

“There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them!” is my favorite quote by Sir Winston Churchill. A great man full of imperfections - expert in winning world wars, cigars, whiskey and champagne, and a prolific author. You may like him or

The fall of Aleppo in 2016 was a grim prelude to Bucha, Mariupol, and Bakhmut in 2022. It was in Syria that Russian pilots learned how to raze Ukrainian cities to the ground. The world’s failure to stand up to Putin and Assad back then became an open invitation for Putin to

The Georgian government cloaked its creeping concessions to Russia with promises to avoid the so-called “Ukrainian scenario,” referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Tragically, what we are witnessing in Georgia today is precisely a Ukrainian scenario - but of a different