World

How “neutral” are the Russian and Belarusian athletes set to compete in the Olympics this summer under the “neutral“ flag?

Russia’s new Minister of Defense is a civilian and his name is Andrey Belousov. He is a long-time friend of Vladimir Putin and a member of a closed religious brotherhood.

Russia has long exploited the Olympic Truce as a ruse to launch its wars. Putin knows that the best time to attack is while everyone watches the games as it’ll be difficult for news to broadcast during the sports event and could go unnoticed by world media.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has caused not only death and destruction within its borders but has also led to a wave of Ukrainian refugees seeking safety in EU countries. But a number of them have faced violent attacks over the past two years.

Before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine could fully supply itself with energy and even export it abroad. But the war has changed everything. The Ukrainian energy system is being destroyed, and energy prices are rising in Europe.

Never before has an active nuclear power plant of this scale been seized and held hostage in a war. Russia’s actions at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have shattered long-held norms surrounding nuclear safety. With this dangerous precedent set, Ukraine’s Peace Formula seeks to re-establish a global framework for nuclear security.