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Interview
‘We have to speed up:’ European Investment Bank head Hoyer calls for swift reconstruction of Ukraine
Werner Hoyer, the head of the European Investment Bank (EIB), and its vice-president Teresa Czerwinska visited Kyiv on Nov. 27 to announce a new 450-million-euro package ($493 million) to Ukraine and inaugurate the bank’s new regional hub in the capital. The sum, approved by the EIB on Nov. 15,
Charles Michel: 'I don't think this counteroffensive has failed'
Ten years after Ukrainians took to the streets their dissatisfaction with what many saw as a nail into the coffin of the country's European future, the European Council president was in Kyiv promising that Ukraine would soon begin accession talks. "My goal is to do everything to make a positive
Historian Serhii Plokhy: ‘The better we prepare for the long war, the sooner it will end’
As a Harvard historian, Serhii Plokhy comfortably analyzes timelines that span centuries. But in his work on the war in Ukraine, keeping up with monthly developments has been a challenge. After finishing his latest book “The Russo-Ukrainian War” early this year, Plokhy wrote a new afterword at the end of
Bulgaria's Soviet stockpiles and large defense industry may be key to Ukraine's success
Bulgaria has had to walk a fine line, trying to covertly support Ukraine without provoking Russia. The Balkan state has been historically influenced by Moscow. Opinions on Ukraine are split among its 6.7 million people, many of whom buy into Kremlin propaganda. The new coalition government elected in June
Not backing Ukraine is 'disastrous for Slovak security,' says former defense minister
One of Ukraine's worst fears appears to have come to pass: a key ally announced a halt to military aid. Slovakia, Ukraine's small eastern neighbor of 5.4 million people, gave generously from its Soviet-era arsenal and welcomed Ukrainian refugees after the full-scale war began. Now, a recent election handed
International Finance Corporation Europe Director ‘optimistic’ Ukraine can attract private investment to rebuild
In order to rebuild the country following Russia’s brutal invasion, Ukraine will have to attract billions to its private sector. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) — the investment arm of the World Bank — believes that if Ukraine manages to reform some of its key sectors and liberalize its markets, it
EU ambassador to Ukraine: ‘Even Putin can’t stop Ukraine’s accession’
Ukraine is now one step closer to its strategic goal of becoming a member of the European Union. On Nov. 8, the European Commission published its annual enlargement report. In it, the commission confirmed that Ukraine had completed enough of the steps laid out in seven recommendations it received from
Should Ukraine draft women alongside men?
Almost 43,000 women are now serving in Ukraine's military, according to the country’s Defense Ministry. They volunteered to fight, as unlike with men, there is no obligatory conscription for women in Ukraine.
Yevhenia Podobna: 'Evil must be called evil'
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Yevhenia Podobna prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute
Iryna Tsilyk: Losing intellectuals on front lines is disastrous for Ukrainian culture
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Iryna Tsilyk prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute
Mychailo Wynnyckyj: Ukrainians need to win the war as quickly as possible
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Mychailo Wynnyckyj prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies
Timothy Snyder: If you want peace, Crimea has to be a part of Ukraine
When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the world struggled to understand how it was possible that war had once again returned to Europe in the 21st century. Eighteen months later, the world wants to know how it will all end. In both cases, historians are
Vox populi: How does war affect mental health of Ukrainians?
The Kyiv Independent asks people on the streets of Kyiv how Russia’s full-scale war affects their mental health and how they cope with it.
Ukrainian soldiers on Independence Day: ‘We, our families, future still in danger’
As Ukrainians celebrate their country’s 32nd Independence Day on Aug. 24, they are also marking exactly 18 months since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Many understand that the celebration is only possible thanks to the country’s defenders who fight and sacrifice their lives every day on
Vox Populi: How do Ukrainians see their country’s future in 10 years?
Ukraine celebrates its 32nd Independence Day on Aug. 24 amid the ongoing Russian invasion. The Kyiv Independent has asked people on the streets of Kyiv what they think Ukraine’s future will look like in 10 years. Warning: Some of the answers can melt your heart.
UK Ambassador Simmons: ‘People are waking up to understanding of Russia being colonial fascist-leaning country’
After four tumultuous and challenging years, Dame Melinda Simmons’ term as the British ambassador to Ukraine is coming to an end. Her successor Martin Harris will be arriving in September. Since Simmons, a career diplomat, arrived in Kyiv in September 2019, she has worked through the coronavirus outbreak, a change
Philosopher Jason Stanley: 'Russia is explicitly fascist'
Eighteen months into Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, which left tens of thousands of people dead, many more injured, and entire regions destroyed, observers still lack the vocabulary to adequately describe Moscow's actions. Jason Stanley, professor of philosophy at Yale University and author of "How Fascism Works," visited Kyiv in
Risk of ‘big disruptions’ high in grain markets, says Black Sea expert
Since Russia refused to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative – a U.N.-brokered deal to keep Ukraine’s grain flowing from its Black Sea ports amid Russia’s full-scale invasion – it has unleashed a campaign of attacks on Ukraine’s port and grain infrastructure. In late July, Russia carried
Ukraine may be winning ‘world’s first cyberwar’
For Ukraine's main cybersecurity agency, Russia's full-scale war began over a month before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine from all directions – with a large cyber attack on Jan. 14, 2022. "It all started with an attack on state authorities, it was the largest attack in 17 years," says Yurii Shchyhol,
Jade McGlynn: Russians cannot perpetuate their myth of Russia if they lose control over Ukraine
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Yuliya Kovaliv prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) of the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada). Jade McGlynn is a
Former NATO envoy to Moscow: ‘Potential escalation with Russia is a myth’
The West failed to understand the Russian regime before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Robert Pszczel, the former NATO envoy to Moscow from 2010-2015, said on the sidelines of the Warsaw International Summit in Kyiv on July 7. Once the punching bag of Russian propagandists during his appearances on Russian
Ambassador Kovaliv: We value Canada’s support of Ukraine’s future membership in NATO
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Yuliya Kovaliv prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute
Retired chief of UK military: As international partners deliberate, Ukrainians pay the price
Ukraine has been forced to do battle with less equipment than it needs because of the caution of its international partners, said Mark Carleton-Smith, the U.K.’s former top military commander, during his visit to Kyiv. Carleton-Smith, who was in the country as part of the Warsaw International Forum,
Marci Shore: Putin’s regime presides over destruction of Russia
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Marci Shore prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute
EU top justice official: We aren't waiting for war's end to prosecute Russian crimes
As Russia's war against Ukraine rages on, the European Union's top justice official says the EU and its partners want to bring all perpetrators of international crimes to justice. "Not only war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, but also the crime of aggression," European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders
Browder: ‘West must hand Russian Central Bank’s $350 billion to Ukraine for reconstruction’
London-based American investor Bill Browder says people call him the “number one enemy” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and, more recently, an official “Friend of Ukraine.” Browder has spent the last 13 years campaigning to freeze Putin’s assets hidden in the West. Now, he’s fighting for them to
Retired US General Petraeus: ‘Now it's inevitable – we should give the ATACMS’
The Kyiv Independent interviewed retired U.S. General David Petraeus on the sidelines of a security conference held by the Cipher Brief in Kyiv on May 31. Petraeus is a four-star U.S. general who has commanded two wars. He has headed multinational forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has
Serhiy Kvit: Ukrainian universities engaged into war effort beyond expectation
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Serhiy Kvit prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute
Inside the mission to evacuate civilians from Ukraine's front lines: Interview with UK volunteer
British photographer turned volunteer Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke and his team have evacuated thousands of Ukrainians to safer locations in Ukraine and abroad. We spoke with him about evacuation challanges and why people refuse to leave despite danger.
Agnieszka Legucka: Russia's war against Ukraine shows clash between two global world views
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Agnieszka Legucka prepared by Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute
Bulgarian FM says relations with Russia 'frozen,' yet military aid to Ukraine remains in limbo
BRUSSELS – Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has again exposed Russia's far-reaching influence over Bulgaria. The Bulgarian energy sector is dominated by Russia. The defense minister was dismissed in March 2022 for echoing the Kremlin's war propaganda. The country has denied Ukraine's official requests for military aid in fear of pro-Russian
Estonian minister warns 'false peace is prelude to new wars,' backs NATO membership for Ukraine
BRUSSELS – Behind the curtains of Estonia's substantial support for Ukraine lies the struggle of pushing allies to do more. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu admitted that he is not satisfied with either the quantity or pace of the allies' arms support "because
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