Emily Couch, a British writer and expert on politics and culture, writes about the dangers of modern Russian liberalism in an essay on Foreign Policy. Couch focused on the story of her experience at the Higher School of Economics (HSE), one of the most prestigious universities in the Russian Federation, which is positioned as an "island of political liberalism" in an authoritarian country. However, the views promoted by the teachers of this university, although sometimes criticizing the actions of the authorities, generally support the imperial appetites of the Kremlin. This became especially noticeable with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, when the rector of HSE signed an open letter in support of the Russian attack, and students were warned against participating in anti-war protests. According to Couch, this example shows the limitations of Russian liberalism. In particular, the presence of one of the faces of Russian propaganda, Dmytro Suslov, at the HSE indicates an uncomfortable kinship between Russian liberalism and Kremlin imperialism. Russian liberalism, the author writes, does not differ from liberalism in other metropolises: there, liberalization is considered as a way to preserve the empire and is based on nationalism and a sense of oneʼs own superiority over other nations and cultures. In order to break out of this circle and become a democratic force, Couch believes, Russian liberals must eventually realize their historical prejudices and learn to interact meaningfully with anti-colonial movements both in Russia and abroad.
How can Putin be forced to withdraw troops from the Zaporizhzhia NPP, James Stavridis, the former Supreme Commander of the Joint Forces of NATO in Europe, writes in a Bloomberg column. Stavridis served on an aircraft carrier with a nuclear reactor and knows a lot about the benefits and dangers of nuclear power, which makes him nervous about Putinʼs nuclear blackmail at Energodar. According to the author, the Russians keep the Zaporizhzhia NPP for three reasons. First, this area can be used as a shelter for further offensive operations. Secondly, they are trying to scare Europeans with a nuclear catastrophe. And thirdly, Putin wants to be able to take 20% of electricity from Ukraineʼs power grid. Stavridis sees three main options for the development of events that can cause the release of radiation at the station: the error of the NPP workers themselves, who are constantly working under pressure, the failure of the cooling system of the reactors due to hostilities, as well as damage to the containers with spent uranium. What to do to avoid a disaster? The author believes that the first step has already been taken ― the IAEA inspection of the station, which will arrive this week. Next, it is necessary to achieve the demilitarization of the station and the territory adjacent to it, for example, by introducing a closed sky over its territory and strengthening sanctions against Russia. If it was possible to reach an agreement on the release of Ukrainian grain, then it is possible to come to an agreement on the Zaporizhzhia NPP, Stavridis believes, because avoiding a nuclear disaster is currently a priority.
Lauren Kahn, a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes in an essay on Foreign Affairs about how Ukraine uses the latest technology in the war against Russia. When the full-scale invasion began, the main question was "how quickly will Kyiv fall", but after six months of war, everything has changed and now the world is watching whether the Ukrainian people will be able to return the occupied lands. Such incredible success was possible thanks to several reasons, one of which is the technical savvy of the Ukrainian armed forces. Among the evidence of skillful use of technology, Kahn cites the use of civilian drones, the use of commercial satellite data, the creation of software capable of aiming artillery using artificial intelligence, and more. The trick is not in the complexity of these technologies, the author writes, but on the contrary, in the fact that Ukrainians have learned to use accessible and easy-to-use tools. Another feature of the use of technology in the war was the involvement of citizens and civil institutions in the collection and processing of information. After all, the experience of Ukraine has become key to the development of approaches to warfare, because the country has demonstrated visible success in the use of technologies that were previously considered only niche, the publication writes. Ukraine has become a training ground of various types of weapons and tactics, and has fundamentally changed the approach to preparing and conducting hostilities.