When Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was ousted over a helmet featuring athletes killed in Russia’s invasion forty-five minutes before his competition and just about one week into the Games, it was not the only reminder in Milano Cortina that the Olympics do not unfold in a political vacuum. Anti-ICE protests, Russian athletes again competing […]
Tag: Ukraine
Estonia’s Iron Lady Takes Center Stage in European Politics
At just 1.4 million people, Estonia’s entire population is smaller than the city of Paris. As a quiet, reserved country, Estonia may be unassuming, but its people are formidable. For leaders like Kaja Kallas, it is that calm, fierce, and profoundly underestimated spirit that drives her courageous leadership. Numbers are never a deciding factor when […]
With Fear for Democracy, the World Dissents: The Authoritarian Surge
Reflecting on the historical tides of American politics, resisting Russian influence was a bipartisan imperative, with conservatives leading the charge against Soviet expansionism during the Cold War. Today, however, that dynamic has shifted, with segments of the American right increasingly willing to align themselves with the Kremlin, a development that would have once been unthinkable. […]
Drone Warfare is Eroding the Right to Life
Technology has made war feel as remote as a video game: armed drones hover above like silent arbiters of life and death, striking targets with the press of a button. These “precision” machines, initially confined to distant battlefields, are now used in routine counter-terrorism operations and even domestic policing. But who really pays the price […]
Russia’s Grip on Sovereignty and Democracy
Ukraine fights for freedom, while Belarus clings to dictatorship. At the heart of both struggles lies the same force: Vladimir Putin’s relentless pursuit of control over post-Soviet states. Ukraine is not the only country fighting against Russian influence. Aleksandr Lukashenko, who embraces the title as Europe’s last dictator, was elected president of Belarus in 1994. […]
Reaches and Limits of Papal Influence
In a recent statement regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, invoked anger when he suggested that the Ukrainians should have the “courage of the white flag” to come to the table and negotiate. That statement has been met with staunch rebuttal from the Ukrainians, with […]
Transnistria Could Be the Next Greatest Threat to Ukraine
Two days ahead of the Russian presidential election, incumbent President Vladimir Putin was asked in a national address about the potential use of nuclear weapons in the Russia-Ukraine War. He replied that he currently doesn’t see the point, but that “weapons exist in order to use them.” The war is quickly ratcheting up, and with […]
Chipping Away at the Bloc: Hungary’s Crossroads with the EU
Following the large-scale casualties of World War II, the human condition was at its trough. Some 75 million lost their lives, and a similar number of people were forced to flee their home countries. Consequently, the European Union (EU) formed, intended to create a coalition that negotiates intercontinental peace in the midst of conflict. However, […]
Dissatisfaction and Disappointment at UNGA78
“Compromise has become a dirty word. Our world needs statesmanship, not gamesmanship and gridlock . . . It is time for a global compromise. Politics is compromise. Diplomacy is compromise. Effective leadership is compromise. Leaders have a social responsibility to compromise in building the common future of peace and prosperity for our common good.” With […]
No Freedom of Expression: Russia’s Crackdown on Dissenting Musicians
On a crisp autumn evening in 2014, fans packed into Moscow’s International House of Music to see one of Russia’s most famous musicians, Andrei Makareivich, perform. However, just a few minutes into the concert, Russian nationalists would pepper spray the crowded venue. While attacking the attendees, they chanted that Makereivich was a traitor due to […]
The Mental Health Challenge of Migration
Since the morning of February 24, when missiles first rained down and troops stormed into Ukraine under the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 7.8 million Ukrainians have fled their besieged homeland. The majority have arrived in neighboring European countries, where they await the assistance of foreign governments. As the European Union (EU) grapples with […]
Putin’s Side Project, and the Warning It Sends to Democracies
Written in July 2022 As Vladimir Putin’s baseless war in Ukraine unfolds, the Russian propaganda machine has been hard at work churning out false narratives—like asserting the U.S. and Ukraine are training birds and reptiles to spread viral pathogens in Russia. Though seemingly trivial, this claim may be the pretext for the use of chemical […]
Europe’s New Iron Curtain: An Interview With Dace Dzenovska
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine surprised the world. As an ethnic Latvian, this advance scared me. Vladimir Putin finally made his move to reunite the Soviet Union. Putin has historically called the dissolution of the Soviet Union, “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” He has had his eye on Ukraine to reincorporate into Russia for […]
The New Switzerland: India on Russo-Ukrainian War
The international political community, a victim of increasing globalization, has grown to be an intertwined, tangled web of complex alliances. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent his years in office with an intense focus on foreign affairs and international relations, engaging actively with nations across the globe. While Modi works his way around the […]
War Within a War: Sexual Violence in Ukraine
Trigger Warning: Discussion of sexual assault and violence against women The United Nations departments of Sexual Violence in Conflict and UN Women put forth a joint statement on April 9th stating that they are “gravely concerned about mounting allegations of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls in the context of the war in Ukraine.” […]
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and The Present Global Food Crisis
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought the world to the brink of what Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has described as a potentially “apocalyptic” food crisis. The ongoing conflict has halted agricultural exports from Ukraine, a country long known as the breadbasket of Europe and Russia and the world’s largest exporter of wheat and […]
Piecing Back a Shattered Peace in Europe: An Interview with Darren C. Zook
Professor Darren C. Zook teaches in Political Studies and Global Studies at UC Berkeley. His research interests include human rights, comparative Asian politics, international law, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. BPR sat down with him, dressed in one of his signature floral-patterned shirts, to discuss the Russo-Ukrainian War’s impact on international law […]
Media Bias Covering the Russian Invasion
As Ukrainians continue to be forced out of their homes, lose loved ones, and are scared for the future, countries around the world have rallied their support. Still, news of wars and refugees isn’t new, and when asked what makes this situation different, reporters have shamelessly stated that Ukraine is a “white” and “Christian” country. […]
The Sino-Russian Relationship: Out of Sincerity, or Forced by Circumstance?
The scenes of the 2022 Winter Olympics’ opening ceremony in Beijing stuck out as a muted affair compared to the pomp and grandeur of the Summer Olympics fourteen years ago. While the 2008 Olympics symbolized China’s ascent onto the world stage among the world’s great powers, the 2022 Winter Olympics instead highlight China’s increasing isolation […]
Ukraine Wants Weapons, and NATO Should Give it to Them
Four years after Russia violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and seized the Crimean Peninsula, it is clear that Putin got exactly what he wanted—and at little cost. While Russia used direct and decisive military action, the international community responded with underwhelming sanctions and words of admonishment. Years later, Ukraine remains tormented by constant attacks from pro-Russian […]
A Real Pain in the Dniester: A New Era of Tension in Moldova
Moldova is the 33rd-largest country in Europe, a small slice of land tucked between Ukraine and Romania. Politically, however, it is stuck between the EU and Russia. While this corner of the continent rarely makes headlines in the United States, it is far from tranquil and has been unable to escape the strategic maneuvering of […]
Underestimation Nation
On October 15th Fox News presented a poll that found 58% of Americans felt “things in the world are ‘going to hell in a handbasket.” [1] These findings tell us two things. First, we should probably question the quality of Fox News polls when a question legitimately uses the term “Hell in a handbasket” to […]
Hasty Military Maneuvers
The global community continues to hear about the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At the NATO summit in Wales on September 5th, Prime Minister Poroshenko called on NATO nations to come to the defense of Ukraine in light of the latest failed cease–fire. While the conflict between the two countries is becoming increasingly more […]