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.
News
Kissinger: Movement Toward Ukraine Peace Talks Needs to Start Within 2 Months; Massicot: Russian Army’s Indifference to Personnel Hurts Efficacy
May 23, 2022
Blog
Clues From Views: Russian Colonel in Spotlight for Ukraine War Criticism Was One of Few to Warn Against Invasion
May 20, 2022
Analysis
Experts Weigh In on Diplomatic Solutions in Ukraine
May 18, 2022
RM Staff Picks
Analysis
What Went Wrong With Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine?
RM Staff
Eleven weeks after the Feb. 24 invasion it is clear that Vladimir Putin’s initial plan has failed. What is less clear is what exactly went wrong and why.
Ukraine War Fallout Highlights How Russia Matter(ed?) to Global Economy
RM Staff
Industries from energy and agriculture to computer chips and electric-car batteries have been hurt by the fighting, the international sanctions and their knock-on effects.
Why Hasn’t Russia Unleashed ‘Cybergeddon’ in Its War on Ukraine?
RM Staff
Some experts say expectations of cyber apocalypse have been overblown, while others argue Russia has already done plenty of cyber damage. Check out our compilation for what Russia’s use (and non-use) of cyber means in the war on Ukraine.
Clues From Views: Will Russia Resort to Nukes in Ukraine?
RM Staff
Moscow’s strategic documents say Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons if facing an existential threat. Senior officials have repeated this. But no one knows quite how that threat is defined.
New Poll: West More Widely Disliked in Russia Than Ukraine Is, China Liked Best of All
RM Staff
Russians’ favorable views of China have hit historic highs since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, while attitudes toward the West have sunk to lows not seen since 2015, according to new Levada Center polls.
Will Russia’s War in Ukraine Deter China From Invading Taiwan?
RM Staff
Even though “Xi Jinping and China will have Russia’s back through” the war in Ukraine, Harvard professor Graham Allison said last week, Moscow’s military campaign has likely reduced Beijing’s appetite for an invasion of the island democracy.
The operation rapidly degenerated into an urban battle of attrition favorable to Ukraine, and eventually the Russian government withdrew its troops, conceding defeat in the battle for Kyiv, while preparing a second phase of the war in Donbas.
"Putin has year by year reintroduced nuclear weapons into his conventional war calculations. … Yet Putin has never come this close to threatening to use them, nor has he made clear if or how he might do so," the author writes.
Does the Sinking of Russia's Moskva Warship Matter and Why?
RM Staff
The sinking of the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship has been hailed as a symbolic victory for Ukrainian forces deeply in need of a morale boost, but commentators diverge on whether the loss has practical implications that could alter the course of the war....
Ukraine’s Digital Fight Goes Global: The Risks of a Self-Directed, Volunteer Army of Hackers
Elisabeth Braw
"There are serious risks involved in waging an informal cyber battle against Russia, particularly since cyber warfare may be one of the few remaining tools in the Kremlin’s playbook," the author writes.