The news from the front is grim for Ukraine. Russian troops have reached the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, a high point in the area. Moscow's advance is slow and costly, but Putin's bet that he can outlast Ukr/the West looks durable. We spoke with front line Ukr troops for a report...

Foreign Affairs published today the results of a most fruitful collaboration between Samuel Charap and yours truly, an article on the failed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine (March-April 2022). foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/talks-….

Putin has so thoroughly consolidated power since 2022 that the exiled Russian opposition is playing a very long game: Using YouTube to slowly seed discontent inside Russia while waiting for a moment of unrest to exploit it. My piece from Vilnius wsj.com/world/russia/a…

New: When Kamala Harris met privately with Volodymyr Zelensky in February, she told him something he didn’t want to hear: Refrain from attacking Russian oil refineries, a tactic U.S. officials believed would raise global energy prices and invite more aggressive Russian…

Penguin publishing house @VintageBooks will publish Alexei @Navalny’s memoir, PATRIOT, on 22 October 2024.

Begun shortly after his poisoning, this is the full story of #Navalny ’s life and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life.

Russia's economy, fueled by the ongoing war with Ukraine, shows surprising stability amidst sanctions. However, this stability is precarious and not everlasting. In my newest paper for Carnegie Endowment, I explore the resilience and risks of Russia's economy
carnegieendowment.org/2024/04/10/is-…

Just your average game of football in Kharkiv.

Laws meant to protect refugees are now used by vast numbers of economic migrants, nearly guaranteeing entry at borders and allowing applicants to remain while yearslong cases work through courts. Feat of reporting by David Luhnow Alicia A. Caldwell Juan Forero wsj.com/us-news/asylum…

From a battalion commander with Ukraine's 59th Motorized Brigade from 2 weeks ago,
'what is needed now are people...Because even young guys can’t stand to spend two years in the trenches, their health is not good enough. And in our army, the average age is probably 40-42.…

In years past, even recently, such sentences used to be national news in Russia, sparking campaigns and public outcry. Azat Miftakhov, Sasha Skochilenko, Yegor Zhukov, Ruslan Sokolovsky. Now there are new verdicts every week. It's become hard to keep track.

US Secretary Antony Blinken used meetings in Europe this week to warn allies of “concerning scale” of Chinese support for Russia, particularly in weapons production and the space industry

ft.com/content/ba5244… @ft w brilliant Felicia Schwartz Demetri & Claire Jones

A former Massachusetts city councilor was charged with possession of child pornography in 2020. He skipped a court date in January 2024, flying to Istanbul.
In February, he was reportedly in Avdiivka after joining the Russian army (with Pyatnashka).

meduza.io/en/feature/202…