War in Ukraine

Sweden and Finland eye the Nato option, but it’s a security dilemma for the west.

— Nato enlargement to Sweden and Finland could be a dangerous strategy if it backs Russia into a corner. Vladimir Putin may well turn to his often-threatened nuclear capability.

War in Ukraine

Nataliia: “I fear I will never see my husband again.”

— Nataliia Vladimirova fled her home in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on the first day of the Russian invasion, on 24 February, with her four-year-old daughter Oleksandra and mother-in-law. She shares her heart-wrenching story of family separation and loss.

COMMENT

A telling story about Putin’s state of mind from a European diplomat.

— How the story from a former ambassador in Moscow about Vladimir Putin suggests that the Russian leader’s apparent goal might be far larger than any peace deal with Ukraine.

War in Ukraine

What game theory can tell us about how Ukraine-Russia negotiations might go.

— The negotiations need to achieve a spectrum of wins and losses that could give every side a win – something hard to imagine at this point.

Long-Read

Vladimir Putin: A risk-taker who is gambling his country’s future.

— How did a young risk-taking politician take complete control of Russia and destabilise Europe and the US? Twenty years on, his dangerously aggressive and risky rule must be ended.

War in Ukraine

No staff turnover at Chornobyl.

— Ukraine tells the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) there has been no rotation of technical staff at Chornobyl for a week now.

OPINION

Prejudice and discrimination masquerading as spiritual support.

— Ignorant prejudice and discrimination masquerading as spiritual support for Ukraine.

War in Ukraine

How Russia is using intellectual property as a war tactic.

— The Russian government has essentially legalised intellectual piracy as a response to sanctions.

Long-Read

Performative politics is gaslighting post-Brexit Britain.

— Professor Chris Grey looking at last week’s events in terms of the blurring of truth and lies that is in part a legacy of Brexit, and has strange parallels with Putin’s ‘spy’ mindset.

War in Ukraine

What can China do about Ukraine and will it do it?

— The horror of what is happening in Ukraine has focussed minds on China’s obligations.

War in Ukraine

The Ukraine War shouldn’t make Americans more appreciative or grateful.

— Why be grateful and appreciative for the undemocratic obstacles that prevent some American citizens from voting and lower the bar for what true democracy is?

War in Ukraine

Ukraine: What might happen if the war spreads to a Nato country.

— Article 5 of the Nato treaty calls for collective defence if a member nation is attacked. But some Nato countries further from the conflict zone might be reluctant to send combat forces even in the event that Article 5 is triggered.

COMMENT

The Home Office’s bureaucracy has been destroying people’s lives for decades. Increasing it isn’t the way forward.

— Implementing a sponsored visa route, rather than waiving visas, risks putting refugees in greater danger of exploitation, without long-term security. It is a cop-out by the government to avoid providing genuine support.

COMMENT

Refugees don’t need visas.

— The UK Government must scrap visa requirements for refugees and halt carrier liability fines, to ensure those who do seek asylum in the UK can reach here safely.

War in Ukraine

Ukraine: The UK is failing to meet its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

— Instead of providing safe and legal routes to protection to people in grave danger, Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced a minor loosening of visa rules.

War in Ukraine

EU as a Line of Defense for Ukraine?

— Can the EU be a line of defense for Ukraine or other countries such as Georgia and Moldova in a potential territorial conflict with Russia?