Author: TheConversation

By Tony Ward, Fellow in Historical Studies, The University of Melbourne In explaining the reasons for Russia’s unexpected military weakness in Ukraine, few have expressed it better than “The Economist.” The magazine noted “the incurable inadequacy of despotic power” and “the cheating, bribery and peculation” that is “characteristic of the entire administration.” Peculation means embezzlement. It is a word rarely used nowadays; these words were in fact published by “The Economist” in October 1854, when Russia was in the process of losing the Crimean War. But they might just easily be about Russia today, under Vladimir Putin, and the mess...

By Lowell Barrington, Associate Professor of Political Science , Marquette University Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022 has, thus far, produced the opposite of what he expected. Rather than deepening political fissures in the West, Putin’s invasion has united the leaders and populations of the majority of countries across Europe and encouraged further NATO expansion. Putin also seems to have believed it would be relatively easy to capture Ukraine’s capital and topple its government. Instead, the Russian military lost the battle for Kyiv and experienced the humiliating sinking of its flagship Black Sea cruiser,...

By Mark A. Grey, Professor of Anthropology, University of Northern Iowa More than 6.3 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia first invaded in late February 2022. The European Union has welcomed Ukrainian refugees, allowing them to enter its 27 member countries without visas and live and work there for up to three years. Everyday Europeans have also opened their doors – and pockets – to host Ukrainians and help them find day care and other services. But there is still an uncomfortable reality: Ukrainian refugees are also Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political pawns, intended to politically destabilize...

By Liam Collins, Founding Director, Modern War Institute, United States Military Academy West Point Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many observers looked at Russia’s overwhelming combat power and thought Russia would achieve a quick victory. Because Russia has a US$62 billion defense budget and holds numerical advantages in weapon systems such as tanks, artillery, attack helicopters and planes, many analysts asked not whether Russia would win but rather how quickly it would do so. What these observers and less experienced analysts are not taking into account is that wartime performance is influenced by more than...

By Shelley Inglis, Executive Director, University of Dayton Human Rights Center, University of Dayton A 21-year-old Russian soldier pleaded guilty in a trial in Kyiv on May 18, 2022, for shooting a Ukrainian man in the head after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February 2022. It marked the first trial of a Russian soldier for the war in Ukraine, as allegations mount of Russia committing war crimes – a broad category under international law that includes targeting civilians during conflict. Ukraine is investigating more than 10,700 potential war crimes, involving more than 600 Russian soldiers and government officials. But...