Russia Matters

Ukraine’s neutrality should still be a main objective in peace talks, according to Kissinger; Massicot examines the Russian army’s culture of indifference to personnel; and more in our analysis round-up.

Mikhail Khodarenok’s grim warnings grabbed the attention of multiple Western media, primarily because they were made on state TV. What some of this reporting is missing, however, is that his predictions of a difficult war in Ukraine are not exactly new.

If the warring sides do manage to negotiate in earnest, a durable peace deal would need to accommodate their minimum security requirements—such as Ukraine’s demand for security guarantees and Russia’s demand for Ukraine’s neutrality.