THE MYTHS OF WAR

Like all politics, war is based to a degree on myths. And Russia’s war against Ukraine is no exception. It is based on Russian myths about itself, myths about Ukraine, and myths about the West.

Likewise, the Western response to Moscow’s aggression has also been constrained and limited by a series of its own myths – about Ukraine, about Russia, about NATO, and about the post-Cold War order. Continue reading

PUTIN’S IMPERIAL GURUS

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s efforts to restore Moscow’s imperial might have their roots in a series of deep seated – and deeply flawed – myths about history. Proponents of these myths include early 20th century White Russian thinkers such as Ivan Ilyin and contemporary Eurasianists like Aleksandr Dugin. Continue reading

THE WAR GRINDS ON

Ukraine tries to hold off Russian gains on a stalemated front in the east amid manpower and artillery shortages. A defiant Ukraine continues to strike at energy infrastructure inside Russia despite U.S. objections. And a waiting game continues as a vital $60 billion in U.S. defense assistance to address Ukraine’s vital needs finally appears to be moving in the House of Representatives. Continue reading

TWO YEARS OF WAR

Two years ago, Vladimir Putin launched a war of aggression and a war of choice against Ukraine — and he expected it to be a cakewalk. It wasn’t. Rather than a quick shock-and-awe assault that would spark regime change in Kyiv, Ukraine instead fought Russia to a draw – driving its forces away from the capital and fighting them to a standstill in the Donbas. Continue reading