Михайло Подоляк

A real breakthrough in negotiations with Russia will not happen until the Kremlin feels substantial sanctions and military pressure. This is clearly understood by our American and European partners. That is why the current focus is on increasing pressure on Russia while expanding…

The main problem with European sanctions against Russia is their delay. Drafts are debated for half a year — during which time the Kremlin manages to transfer assets, replace intermediary companies, and begin preparing for the next round of restrictions. In the end, it may look…

Global politics is a vast web in which the interests of two hundred nations intersect. Yet every time these complex structures begin to unravel, one actor consistently emerges behind the disruption. Russia deliberately multiplies disorder, undermines international law, and…

The subject “Putin” wants war, destruction, and death — and it is now in the shared interest of humanity to force him into peace. We have reached the point where this has become as universally accepted a fact as the Earth being round or humans landing on the Moon. Naturally, a…

According to @bundeskanzler Merz, the time for diplomacy in relations with Russia is over. The truth is — it never really began. Putin uses negotiations solely as a tool for propaganda, to spread his inhumane ideology and to buy time. Months of fruitless talks serve his need to…

Russia’s half-year budget deficit has reached 3.6 trillion rubles — nearly matching the full-year target of 3.7 trillion. A predictable and growing failure for anyone who understands the nature of war — especially a war that is long, resource-intensive, and massive in scale. It…

President Trump’s decision to continue and expand military aid to Ukraine — against the backdrop of productive personal communications with President Zelensky — was expected, as it aligns with the core strategic interests of the United States. It represents a direct, large-scale…

Any phone call with subject “Putin” inevitably results in massive, demonstrative shelling of Kyiv — with enormous destruction, widespread fires, heavy strikes on residential neighborhoods, and mass civilian casualties. The subject treats such “conversations” as an opportunity…

Good news — the Russian economy is cracking. The “National Wealth Fund” has shrunk by 68%, and the key interest rate has reached 20%. Official inflation stands at 9%, while the real figure is significantly higher. Systemic sanctions and trade restrictions have enormous potential…

A historic agreement has been signed to establish a special tribunal under the Council of Europe, aimed at holding accountable the architects and enablers of the aggression against Ukraine. Why is this a breakthrough? Because the tribunal formally recognizes a key fact: Russia’s…

There are no eternal alliances — and every alliance must be reinforced. Despite skepticism, the Summit in The Hague strengthened NATO. For the first time, there is a shift from the notional 2% defense spending target toward 5%. This sends a clear signal to all adversaries: the…

Russia neither wants nor is able — of its own will — to end the hostilities that have become its mode of existence. The Kremlin has turned war into an effective model of state governance, an ideal tool for controlling internal dynamics. War muffles social discontent, distracts…

The greatest historical reckoning Russians may one day bring upon Putin will not even be for the lost lives — when has Russia ever truly valued them? By launching a war against Ukraine, he set the country on a long journey eastward. His break with Europe destroyed centuries of…

Conflicts in the Middle East, tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and escalations in Africa are all links in a single global chain — one in which Russia’s influence is clearly traceable. Crises benefit Moscow by triggering fluctuations in energy markets. Rising oil prices directly fuel…

Yesterday, Putin staged a talk-show-style performance specifically for President Trump, holding a press conference timed for convenient viewing across the ocean. The individual obsessively and brazenly repeated his demands — essentially, Ukraine’s capitulation. His main message:…

Another large-scale missile attack on residential neighborhoods in Kyiv. Deliberate action, deliberate killing and wounding of dozens of people. More civilians under the rubble. This is the horrifying price to pay for "illusions of Russian peace"..... Russia does not want,…

The way the free world fights – with ambitious deep operations that destroy significant military targets without excessive casualties on their side or the other. The way Russia fights – since January 2024, it has gobbled up less than 1% of Ukraine's territory and lost more…

There are no “five years” left for Europe, NATO, or Western democracies before Russia begins its expansion. That is a dangerously naive illusion — one that, unfortunately, still delays the adoption of key anti-Russian (deterrent) decisions. The expansion is already underway — in…

There are only two countries in the world capable of launching large-scale drone strikes deep into enemy territory. Over the past week, Russia has launched more than 1,500 drones. Ukraine responded with fewer, but more precise, strikes. Of the two, only one country is actively…

Soon, according to estimates by Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian losses — killed and wounded — will exceed 1,000,000 people. Earlier hopes that a stream of coffins from Ukraine would sober up Russia now seem laughable. There should be no illusions — the Kremlin will continue to…