Ukraine

Ukrainian women have become indispensable in national defense and resilience, reshaping gender norms and taking on critical roles. Without direct support for local women’s groups, their impact risks being undermined by structural exclusion.

Populist authoritarians have recast themselves as champions of peace. Donald Trump, Viktor Orbán, Robert Fico, and others argue that standing up to aggressors only prolongs conflict – they’re wrong. 

Instruction has been pared to the basics in everything from combined arms to officer training.

Ukraine is holding pilot renewable energy auctions on Thursday (31 October) to attract investments in decentralized power generation, but high debt and a lack of trust in state payments are threatening any fast build-out.

As part of an EU Democracy research project funded by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union office, Sophie Pornschlegel interviewed European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, during the summer break of the European Commission. In their conversation, Vice-President Jourová reflected on five years of efforts to safeguard democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the EU, amid increasing threats against democracy and a shifting geopolitical context, not least due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. 

In May 2024, Desiree Winns joined students from around the world in Athens, Greece to present to the International Association of Political Science Students (IAPSS) World Congress research on AI in Russian disinformation. This is an edited excerpt of her research.

Timothy Garton Ash is one of the greatest political voices in Europe. In his latest book “Homelands,” he tells the story of how Europe emerged from the ravages of war in 1945, recovered, rebuilt, and moved towards the ideal of a Europe that is “whole, free, and at peace” ‒ until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A conversation with Roderick Kefferpütz about shattered illusions, the war in Ukraine, democratic backsliding, and the fight for freedom.

EU nukes, EU army, EU Defence Commissioner – the debate on European security and defence is heating up. It feels like every week a new political proposal is made. So we asked three questions to Sara Nanni, Member of the German Bundestag and the Green parliamentary group’s spokesperson on defence policy, on how she views the latest developments.

Security policy has always been a very high priority in Poland, which results from the country`s difficult past and the latent threat posed by Russia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine reaffirmed Poland`s commitment to its security policy and prompted more investment in defence. The country has now become an important player on NATO`s eastern flank. Joanna Maria Stolarek talks about this with Justyna Gotkowska, a security expert and deputy director of the think tank The Centre for Eastern Studies.

February 24, marks one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This attack was the culmination  of a war of aggression that has been going on for 9 years. Here are the key facts and figures about this year.

The once lively scene of local and national Ukrainian media is threatened by the brutal Russian invasion and occupation. War has changed the work of journalists and media business models are under threat. Today’s task is to preserve the Ukrainian media landscape and keep journalists in the profession. The tragic case of Russia illustrates that without comprehensive freedom of speech and independent media, dictatorship can thrive.

The precondition for a real and sustainable recovery of Ukraine is, above all, the victory over the Russian aggression against the country. Still, the discussion on the vision and specific steps for reconstruction cannot wait as residents of damaged towns and millions of internally displaced persons need viable living conditions already now, while the war is still ongoing. Ukrainian society needs to build up resilience in many aspects. This interview presents a feminist perspective on the priorities of reconstruction and the importance of international support and allyship among communities. An interview with Galyna Kotliuk, Programme Coordinator - Gender Democracy/Women Rights/LGBT-Rights at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Kyiv office.

Every day, Russia continues to shell Ukrainian infrastructure, causing new damage. At the same time, Ukraine is already formulating a post-war recovery plan, including in the area of secure renewable energy. Natalia Lytvyn, project coordinator of the NGO Ecoclub and the Energy Transition Coalition, and Kostiantyn Krynytskyi, head of the energy department at EcoAction, elaborate on Ukraine's prospects for a green transition.

The Heinrich Böll Stiftung’s Foreign Policy Conference in February gave a snapshot of the German Green Party’s foreign policy priorities vis-à-vis Ukraine and Eastern Europe

Poland has welcomed fleeing Ukrainians. But a cold winter, rising inflation, and minimal financial support from the government could strain the system.

“Everyone is traumatized,” one teacher told National Journal after students returned to the classroom this fall.

“You cannot take democracy for granted,” Maria Kurinna tells National Journal in Warsaw.

A Polish town home to just 200 people has taken in around 100 Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion of their country, providing a haven for those escaping the attack by a violent, oppressive regime.

Social media in Ukraine: how advocates and historians use it

Some have labelled Russia’s war against Ukraine “the world’s first crypto war.” That might be overstating matters, but cryptocurrencies are certainly having an impact on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.