Chancellor Merz and Foreign Minister Wadephul warn of direct threats from Moscow on the lives of people in Germany, and yet hesitate to back their words with the kind of support Ukraine urgently needs to avoid that Putin goes further.
Category: Russia-Ukraine War
Some 49,000 soldiers have deserted from the Russian army. But to avoid the harshest charges or being sent forcibly back to the front, some are surrendering promptly in the hopes of being sent simply to prison.
Public support for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is growing in Russia, with new polling showing record levels of backing for diplomacy. But the majority still insists on conditions that Ukraine — and its Western allies — are unlikely to accept. As the Kremlin plays the long game, a clear path to peace remains elusive.
Some Russians who have gone to war are making big money: for signing a contract, monthly pay, injury insurance, and benefits in case of death. Unsurprisingly, many are eager to illegally get their hands on that money — from frontline commanders to women marrying the most vulnerable.
The days of talking about ceasefires feel like a distant memory. Each side is now intent on making the other pay for not giving in. Donald Trump didn’t back up his promise with any pressure on Moscow.
June 6 – June 12, 2025
With Russian troops slowly but steadily advancing, and Western support wavering, we should be well aware that a Ukrainian defeat would trigger mass displacement, destabilize Europe, and hand Putin a historic opportunity. We risk sleepwalking into a historic disaster.
👋 Saluton!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Trump doubles steel and aluminium tariffs, South Korea’s new president is sworn in and our quiz question takes you to one of Amsterdam’s iconic museums. Meanwhile, for Daraj, Iman Adel tells us the story of Laila Soueif, the mother of a jailed British-Egyptian activist who has been on a […]
👋 Yumalundi!* Welcome to Tuesday, where Israeli forces kill at least 27 Palestinians in another deadly confrontation near a food distribution site in Gaza, Mount Etna erupts, and we’ve got one sour quiz question for you. Meanwhile, for La Stampa, Stefano Stefanini looks at Ukraine’s recent long-range drone strike deep inside Russia — and what […]
Donald Trump called Putin crazy, but he’d never use his favorite insult against the Russian president: Loser. But that’s what Trump is beginning to look like after five months of promising to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours.
Once again, there’s talk of peace in Ukraine — a lasting, just peace. But the West has all the clues it needs in 25 years of Putin’s actions, and much of Russian history.
TikTok videos and promises of big paydays have lured Nepali men to Ukraine’s front lines — but many haven’t come home. Now, their families are crossing continents to learn their fates.
From Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin to Italian Prime Minister Meloni and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, intense maneuverings are underway to see if the peace process can be relaunched in Rome. There are both religious and judicial hurdles to overcome.
Despite heavy international sanctions from the West, Russia has taken a lighter economic hit than expected. Rather than suffering from war, it’s become dependent on it — like Germany in the 1930s.
👋 Talofa!* Welcome to Thursday, where a suspect is in custody after a shooting in Washington, D.C., killed two Israeli embassy staff, a White House meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump goes awry, and today’s quiz question asks what piece of advice the Netherlands has against cyber crime. Meanwhile, as the […]
Following his call with Vladimir Putin on Monday, Donald Trump seemed to wash his hands of the rest. His ultimate agenda seems to be about inking business deals, just like he’s done on his recent visit to the Gulf states.
👋 A jaaraama!* Welcome to Tuesday, where the UK, France and Canada warn Israel over its Gaza offensive, the coup trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro opens and our daily quiz question takes us to Paris’ most famous cemetery. Meanwhile, Jędrzej Słodkowski for Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza shines a light on the lesser known […]
Along with questions of a ceasefire deal with Russia come questions of when Ukraine will hold its next presidential election. While much remains uncertain, Livy Bereg considers the prospects of potential candidates — including several recognizable faces from the past.
Between ceasefire proposals and calls for negotiation, the war in Ukraine has, over the past 36 hours, moved to the rhythm of a bidding war. The goal: to convince Donald Trump of each side’s goodwill.
The 80th anniversary of victory in World War II shines a light on the world’s current fractures, because in addition to the war in Ukraine, which pits the allies of 1945 against each other, there’s Donald Trump wild card.
Vladimir Putin has offered a 72-hour ceasefire to begin on May 8, but signs on the ground point instead to plans for a major assault in eastern Ukraine. A key weapon would be specialized motorcycle brigades that could evade Kyiv’s defenses.
How do people meet in Ukraine, Israel, Lebanon? How do they fall in love when hopes for a romantic future are tenuous? This report looks at conflict zones where relationships change in nature, and feelings intensify.
Russia’s bombing the northeastern Ukrainian city wasn’t just a monstrous act of war against civilians, it was a cold-blooded political calculation by a Vladimir Putin uninterested in Trump’s eagerness for a truce.
Metaphors like “nuclear shield” or “nuclear security guarantee” are being tossed around as if they meant something clear and specific. This shows a troubling lack of understanding of how nuclear strategy actually works, and how much power is in the hands of individual leaders.
On the one hand, the prevalence of Soviet-era T-55 tanks, golf carts, donkeys and other makeshift transport are a clear sign of Moscow’s exhaustion. On the other hand, Russia is clearly investing in a transformation of its military. It’s the real reason that Europe is mobilizing.
Journalist Katya Bonch-Osmolovskaya of “Important Stories” on how Ukrainian children taken to Russia led to an arrest warrant for Putin, but they were then forgotten.
While voluntary enlistment is still strong in Ukraine, it is no longer enough. Kyiv has begun allowing prisoners to apply for early release in exchange for military service. While Russia’s similar policy was criticized, Ukrainian officials insist there are crucial differences.
The Russian president has no problem talking about negotiations and peace treaties. But he’s a master decoy artist. Putin has built his power on conflict, and now he needs war to hold on to it.
In Paris where he met with Emmanuel Macron, the Ukrainian president urged Europe to provide more weapons and soldiers, accusing Putin of having no interest in a ceasefire. French daily Le Figaro’s Isabelle Lasserre spoke with him in an exclusive interview.
Would you fight for your country? My generation hears this question a lot these days. But my generation was taught to fight for peace — so why aren’t we holding onto that aim, especially now?
We’re still far from the 30-day ceasefire the Americans had hoped for. Even Tuesday’s announcement of a halt to hostilities in the Black Sea comes with Russian conditions. The negotiations are shaping up to be a long game — one that feels more like a high-stakes bluff than a real path to peace.
Poland, one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and a neighboring country to Ukraine, has accepted over one million refugees fleeing the Russian invasion. However, as time has gone on, Poles have grown to increasingly resent Ukrainians. But why? Olena Babakova, a Ukrainian journalist, explains for Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza.
The Russian president has no problem talking about negotiations and peace treaties. But he’s a master decoy artist. Putin has built his power on conflict, and now he needs war to hold on to it.
Europeans may see seizing Russian assets as a financial and moral boost, they should resist the idea to avoid a triple boomerang effect.
After more than two hours of talks with Trump, Putin agreed only to a partial truce on energy infrastructure and laid out his conditions for moving forward — chief among them, an end to Western aid for Ukraine. Who knows if Trump pushed back at all.
Zelensky immediately agreed to the 30-day ceasefire without conditions, but Putin took his time responding — essentially delivering a “no” to the U.S. proposal. Negotiations between Washington and Moscow are ongoing, but much hinges on Donald Trump’s mood.
Russia announced that it has taken back Sudzha, the biggest town in Kursk, just hours after a surprise visit from the Russian president in the region and as a U.S. delegation arrives in Moscow to discuss a ceasefire proposal. All eyes are now on Putin.
Known in France and on social networks under several false identities, the daughter of a Russian millionaire was born in 2003 from an extramarital relationship with the Russian president, who never recognized her.
Ukraine secured the restoration of U.S. aid and agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. But the questions around Trump’s expectations of Putin leave the storyline suspended.
With Trump’s return to power, Russia is rapidly moving closer to the United States; Putin has even agreed to mediate talks between Washington and Tehran. But can Iran still trust Russia? Or is it, like Ukraine, just another bargaining chip?