Illia Kabachynskyi

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.

Ukraine ranks among the top countries globally for agricultural exports and is a crucial part of global food security. To ensure timely exports and uninterrupted food supply to dozens of countries worldwide, safe passage through the Black Sea is essential.

Shaheds are still primarily used by Russia to target civilian cities and energy infrastructure, which the Geneva Conventions prohibit. Russia has made even deadlier, aiming to cause even more devastation.

The Russian state company Gazprom does not own any pipelines on the territory of Ukraine. All pipelines are exclusively state-owned by Ukraine and are 100% controlled by Kyiv.