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EDITOR'S CORNER: Not Everyone Has Christmas Peace

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As we approach Christmas, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what is happening in Ukraine right now. Why do this? Because it’s important to remember that many of us are spending this season in peace, surrounded by friends and family, sharing a Christmas dinner or lunch. Some of us may still be working. Others may not have friends or family to spend this time with, and the season can feel lonely. But one thing many of us share is peace, something that cannot be taken for granted. This is what we explore in this blog post. MASSIVE ATTACKS AT CHRISTMAS Overnight and into today, Russia carried out a massive drone and missile attack across Ukraine, one of the most intense in recent weeks. Hundreds of drones and missiles targeted multiple regions, striking residential areas and critical infrastructure, particularly energy facilities. At least three civilians were reported killed, including a child, and many areas experienced power outages during freezing winter conditions. Ukrainian air...
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EDITOR'S CORNER: Why Europe Can’t Agree on Russia Funds

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This week proved to be a pivotal one for the European Union, as leaders gathered for the European Council Summit on 18 and 19 December. The most anticipated question was whether Europe would use the €210 billion of Russian funds frozen in Euroclear to support Ukraine. European leaders debated the issue at length, with a few unexpected moments along the way. The final decision may not have been entirely surprising, yet it still carried elements of unpredictability. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what happened during the summit and explore its potential impact. FUNDS FROZEN, A LONG AWAITED DECISION At the same summit, EU leaders also decided to freeze Russian state assets held at Euroclear indefinitely. This concerns roughly €210 billion in assets belonging to the Russian central bank, which had already been frozen under EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Previously, the freeze had to be renewed every six months by unanimous agreement, creating t...
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EDITOR'S CORNER: Peace As A Tool To Deceive

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The past few days have been a rollercoaster of meetings, headlines, and breaking news surrounding the ongoing peace process in Ukraine. Since the United States submitted its widely criticized 28-point peace plan, we’ve seen several revised iterations, culminating in a European-approved version that reportedly contains 20 points. Since Sunday, European leaders and U.S. envoys have been meeting in Berlin, signaling cautious progress. We are close, but still very far . In this blog post, we’ll break down the latest developments in the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, while also examining some of the troubling consequences that have emerged from this drawn-out and deeply complex process.   WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SO FAR? Over the past few days, Ukraine has reported measurable progress in peace-related talks, largely through discussions with U.S. and European representatives rather than direct negotiations with Russia. Meetings in Berlin have centered on a potential framew...
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EDITOR'S CORNER: America Has Really Abandoned Europe

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The United States’ 2025 National Security Strategy was published on December 4th. It sets out the priorities of the U.S. government for the upcoming administration, its main goals, strategic direction, and expectations for global partners, as well as how it intends to position itself on the world stage. It is a critical document that U.S. allies look to in order to understand how to navigate their relationships with an increasingly unpredictable Trump administration. Unfortunately, despite its significance, this 30 page document falls short. It presents a deeply insular “America First” approach, combined with the assertion that the United States can intervene anywhere it deems necessary in the name of “protecting the interests of the American people.” In practical terms, this means asserting authority over other nations’ governments, laws, and internal affairs whenever Washington labels something a threat. In this blog post, I will break down the strategy, focusing especially on what ...
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USA: America’s Peace Deal Playbook in Ukraine

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For decades, American diplomacy has traditionally followed a structured and institutional approach shaped by the State Department, multilateral cooperation, and standardized policy frameworks. The current U.S. strategy in mediating the Ukraine–Russia peace process, however, looks extremely different. Rather than following classical diplomatic norms, Washington is now approaching the conflict as though it were a business negotiation. This is most evident in the strong involvement of Steve Witkoff, the US envoy with a background in real estate, investment, and deal-making. Their methods reflect the growing influence of American business culture on global conflict resolution, due to Trump's own background in this area. The result is an approach that treats the war not only as a geopolitical crisis but also as a complex transaction in which leverage, incentives, and practical outcomes matter more than ideological alignment. In this blog post, let's analyze how this approach will be...
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EDITOR'S CORNER: Can Europe Survive Without America?

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Last week, we examined how the United States has fallen short in supporting Ukraine by promoting a 28-point peace plan that leaves Ukraine cornered while granting Russia much of what it wants. The aggressor—the state responsible for the invasion—appears to be gaining the advantage, while the victim is left constrained with limited options. Now, let’s consider another scenario: Europe turning its back on an America that has become an increasingly unpredictable ally. How would Europe measure up without U.S. military capabilities?       WHAT SUPPORT IS USA GIVING EUROPE? The United States provides Europe with a significant share of its overall military security through a large and diverse forward presence. Around 80,000–100,000 U.S. troops are stationed or rotating through Europe, including reinforced deployments on NATO’s eastern flank since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This presence includes brigade combat teams, armored units, aviation detachments, air defense...
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EDITOR'S CORNER: A Piece of Ukraine Shared Between Russia and USA

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This week was dominated by news of a leaked 28-point peace plan, drafted by U.S. and Russian officials—without Ukraine or European input. The plan reads like a wish list from the Kremlin and puts Ukraine in an undignified and impossible position. The U.S. is pressuring Zelenskyy to accept it, or face consequences. Let’s take a closer look at this peace plan—and why it is utterly rubbish. The U.S. is showing less of a global leadership role and more of a greedy uncle, willing to side with criminals above all else. THE SO CALLED " PEACE PLAN"   The leaked 28-point plan is a U.S.–Russia proposal to end the war. It keeps Ukraine’s sovereignty but adds strict military, political, and territorial rules. Ukraine would get security guarantees, but only if it limits its army to 600,000 troops, promises never to join NATO, hosts no NATO forces, and stays non-nuclear. Russia would promise not to attack Ukraine or Europe, and both sides would solve security issues through a new dialogue...
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