OPINION
— As they lament the terrible spectacle of Vladimir Putin invading Ukraine, the UK Government’s hand-wringing has more than a touch of hypocrisy.
War in Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014.
COMMENT
— When you see big numbers in relation to refugee situations, ensure you put them into context.
War in Ukraine
— The Russian president has already shown he will come down hard on domestic opposition to the war in Ukraine. We will see a doubling down of repression, including to prevent any cascade of dissent that might shake the very foundations of Putin’s regime.
COMMENT
— The unprecedented package of tough and coordinated sanctions against Russia after the Ukraine invasion shows that war chests are only as good as the purpose for which they’re used.
War in Ukraine
— Experts around the world have been warning nuclear weapons are increasingly being seen as ‘usable’ by the political and military leaders who wield them.
War in Ukraine
— The last thing Putin wants is a protracted war, with bloody urban combat and echoes of Chechnya – which is what Ukrainian forces are likely to give him. Ukraine can call on a highly motivated citizenry to fight a prolonged insurgency against occupying forces.
War in Ukraine
— Economic warfare only works if it really hurts. If Putin’s inner circle and the Russian elite begin to see that their financial and political futures are better secured without conflict, they might seek to abandon it or try to negotiate their own defections.
War in Ukraine
— How to checkmate Vladimir Putin, according to the former World Chess Champion, political activist and harsh critic of the Russian president.
