Why Russia’s neighbours are fleeing the Kremlin’s shadow
Ukrainian soldiers take part in a training exercise some 10 kilometers away from the border with Russia and Belarus in the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv on February 2, 2025. PHOTO | COURTESY
On February 27, 2025, we dissected the three justifications Russia has offered for its invasion of Ukraine: halting Nato’s eastward march, denazification, and demilitarisation. We concluded that while these arguments contain fragments of legitimate concerns, they fall woefully short of justifying a full-scale invasion. This leaves us with a lingering, crucial question: What does Russia truly want in Ukraine?
Just a day after the publication of the above-mentioned article, a high-profile meeting between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House ended in diplomatic disaster. Instead of signing the proposed deal, Trump, flanked by VP JD Vance, sharply criticised Zelensky. Trump was incensed that Zelensky insisted on securing a security guarantee from the Americans, rather than signing the deal that would have granted the Americans more than $500 billion in rights to Ukrainian mineral resources.
