War in Ukraine

Russian forces keep using marine mammals in the Black Sea as military weapons against Ukrainian drones. The Soviet-inherited programs are akin to animal cruelty and endanger dolphin species on the brink of extinction. The recent death of Hvaldimir, Russia’s famous beluga whale spy, shows that no animal is safe in Russian hands.

Russia is all-in on its war economy, boosting its military budget by a staggering $29 billion for 2025, showing no signs of slowing down until at least 2027.

Ukrainian forces may have shot down Russia’s state-of-the-art S-70 “Okhotnik” drone—one of Moscow’s most advanced UAVs—in the Donetsk region.

Professor Francis Fukuyama is a prominent American scholar, political scientist who has written widely on development and international politics. He is probably most known for his work "The End of History and The Last Man," published in 1992. He joined our reporter, Philip Malzahn, in the studio to discuss democracy, the geopolitical landscape, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Over the past decade, a heavily sanctioned Russia has pursued global influence and economic lifelines by establishing outposts in countries similarly estranged from the West. This is often accomplished through private military companies like the Wagner Group, which provide security and military training to nations with ongoing conflicts in exchange for access to their resources.

Ukraine can rapidly boost its production of military equipment, drones, and ammunition—it only needs funding, which European partners could provide.