Vlada Toporkova

Russia is rebuilding fast, while Europe may have only five years to stop another war. Former Slovak defense minister Martin Sklenár lays out the stakes.

At the White House, Zelenskyy, Trump, and Western allies vowed to pursue peace and security for Ukraine. In Moscow, propagandists scrambled to twist the summit into another “victory” for Putin—trying to stir up a fight in an empty room.

A woman sobs as rescuers pull her son from the rubble. A child’s toy lies waterlogged in the mud. Firefighters carry away dead bodies, while plumes of smoke rise over Kyiv’s skyline. This is what remains when Russia targets civilians.

In 2025, battlefield evacuation in Ukraine means dodging Russian drones, mines, and shellfire. For the medics of “Snake”—a special unit of Ukraine’s International Legion—it’s simply another day on the job.

More than a decade after Russian troops stormed Crimea, the question remains: Why do Russians insist Crimea belongs to them? Professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge, Rory Finnin, explains that the answer isn’t just about strategy or borders but a deeply ingrained national myth.

What is the Special Tribunal Ukraine and the Council of Europe just signed, and why could it change international law and bring Vladimir Putin to justice?