On March 11, Ukraine agreed to a thirty-day ceasefire with Russia. But Vladimir Putin is holding out, insisting that his harsh demands — including a ban on Ukraine joining NATO — must first be met. Does Putin really hold all the bargaining chips, or is he weaker than we think?
The Journal of Democracy essays below, free for a limited time, assess the war and how best to arrive at a just peace.
Why Ukraine Shouldn’t Negotiate with Putin
Many pundits cry for a negotiated settlement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. But they misunderstand Vladimir Putin’s motives. The only just end to the war will be in the trenches, not at the bargaining table.
Robert PersonWhat Putin Fears Most
Forget his excuses. Russia’s autocrat doesn’t worry about NATO. What terrifies him is the prospect of a flourishing Ukrainian democracy.
Robert Person and Michael McFaulWhy Russians Are Souring on Putin’s War
Vladimir Putin wants to stir patriotic fervor for his war in Ukraine. But most Russians don’t think the war is worth the cost, and it’s putting the Kremlin in a bind.
Thomas SherlockHow Putin’s War in Ukraine Has Ruined Russia
The first two months of the war alone turned the Russian clock back decades, undoing thirty years of post-Soviet economic gains and reducing the country to an international pariah state.
Kathryn StonerHow Ukraine Divides Postcommunist Europe
In East-Central Europe, neither physical proximity nor memories of Soviet domination have united countries in their response to the war in Ukraine. What matters most is who stands to benefit.
Anna Grzymała-BusseWhy Putin Must Be Defeated
The more determined democracies are to avoid war, the greater the risk that autocracies will wage it.
Andrei Kozyrev
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Image credit: President of Ukraine