The Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine do not qualify as states under international law, but Russia is reinterpreting those norms for its own purposes.
Labor defence spokesman Brendan O'Connor on China, Ukraine
Michelle Grattan speaks with Labor's spokesman for defence Brendan O'Connor on national security, Ukraine and China.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, right, signed decrees recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics on February 21, 2022.
Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS via Getty Images
Russia sent troops to two Moscow-allied breakaway regions in Ukraine, after President Vladimir Putin recognized the regions’ independence. Five stories provide background to the growing conflict.
Although Russia does not need Chinese military assistance in any potential invasion of Ukraine, Beijing’s political and economic backing is encouraging for Putin.
The author’s father, Wolodymyr ‘Mirko’ Pylyshenko, pictured in an ID card at a German displacement camp for Ukrainians.
Katja Kolcio
Many Ukrainian Americans feel connected to Ukraine’s history and independence, including scholar Katja Kolcio. She writes about her family’s work preserving Ukrainian culture as immigrants in the US.
Sergei Magnitsky’s legacy lives on through sanctions in his name.
Andrey Smirnov/AFP via Getty Images)
Named after a tax expert who died in police custody after uncovering fraud by Russian officials, Magnitsky sanctions target individuals accused of human rights violations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Alexei Druzhinin / Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images
During World War II, the US and USSR fought together to defeat the Nazis. When the war ended, the two superpowers began fighting each other.
The Russian and Ukrainian governments both blamed forces aligned with the other for mortar fire in eastern Ukraine and for using the accusations as justification for increased aggression.
AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda
Attacking your own side and blaming your foe has a long history and a firm grip on the popular imagination. But the internet makes it difficult to pull off – and less desirable.
Territorial defense exercises amid the threat of a Russian military invasion of Ukraine.
Mykhailo Palinchak/Alamy
A scholar of Russian history breaks down what Putin’s aim might be in threatening military invasion, and why that might backfire.
Commercial satellite companies provide views once reserved for governments, like this image of a Russian military training facility in Crimea.
Satellite image (c) 2021 Maxar Technologies via Getty Images
National security professionals and armchair sleuths alike are taking advantage of vast amounts of publicly available information and software tools to monitor geopolitical events around the world.
The Biden administration hopes the threat of harsh sanctions from a united West will deter Putin from invading Ukraine. But Russia has a long history of using energy to divide the US and Europe.
If diplomatic efforts cannot avert further conflict between Ukraine and Russia, a dramatic shift in international relations could occur that would have huge consequences for NATO.
Europe relies on Russia for about 40% of its natural gas.
Victoria Viper B/Shutterstock
Plus, the Beijing Winter Olympics are using 100% artificial snow: what does that mean for the environment, and the athletes? Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.