Illia Kabachynskyi

The Baltic Sea, shared by several European nations and Russia, is governed by longstanding navigation agreements. But since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly breached these rules, using military aircraft to intimidate and flouting international norms with impunity.

Ukraine was among the first to face Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union. The war claimed 20% of its population and devastated its infrastructure and industry. Both the German occupation and Moscow bled the country dry.

In a historic military operation, Ukraine once again demonstrated how modern technology and unconventional tactics can defeat an adversary that appears superior “on paper. “

As US efforts to broker a ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine gain momentum, whispers of American and European businesses returning to Russia are growing louder. But they seem to ignore one thing: Russia has spent the last three years plundering foreign companies.

Global military spending soared to an unprecedented $2.71 trillion in 2024, according to SIPRI — a surge fueled by years of underfunding in national defense, a rising urgency to defend national borders, and escalating wars driven by a new “Axis of Evil”: Russia, Iran, and North Korea. In a dramatic turn, North Korean troops have been fighting on European soil since fall 2024.

Ukrainian forces have not only stopped Russia’s advance toward the vital city of Pokrovsk — they’ve seized the momentum, launching a counteroffensive that has reclaimed 16 square kilometers of territory.