Ukraine could deliver a killer ideological blow to Putin
As I write, four brigades of the Ukrainian army are advancing into the territory of the Russian Federation, and are…
Volhynia and the forgotten massacre of the Second World War
Completely innocent men, women and children have been slaughtered. ‘Terrorism’ hardly suffices to describe the savage rampage beyond the Gaza…
How Russia lost Kazakhstan
Prior to Russia’s invasion in February 2022, few westerners knew much about Ukraine, and even less about Kazakhstan. We all…
Christmas in Ukraine and the ghosts of conflicts past
In Ukrainian, the name for Christmas is Ridztvo (Різдво), meaning ‘Nativity’. The Russian equivalent, used by one in three citizens in Ukraine,…
What does Russia really want?
The question of ‘why’ Russia invaded Ukraine has been forgotten amid war’s fog. Greed and malice partially explains it. History, geopolitics…
War of words: a history of Ukraine's language debate
It’s not often that ex-KGB officers blame Lenin for anything. But in his speech of 21 February 2022, on the…
Does Ukrainian exist?
After six months of war in Ukraine, most observers agree that the roots of Russian aggression lie in the country’s…
The Dnieper rapids and why Putin does not belong in Ukraine
Za in Ukrainian – and other Slavic languages – means ‘Beyond’, and porohi means ‘the Rapids’; so Zaporizhia stands for…
The forgotten history of Poland and Ukraine
Since the outbreak of war in February there has been an overwhelming focus on the historical links between Russia and…
The founding, conquering and destruction of Mariupol
Now that the city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov has been conquered by the Russian army, it is…
