The Latest Breaking News from Lawrence Freedman

Who is winning the war in Ukraine?

It has been more than 17 months since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and there appears to be no end in sight for the conflict. 

The Week · Aug 1, 2023

Russian general who may have known about Wagner mutiny goes missing

US intelligence claims Gen Sergei Surovikin, who has close ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin, had prior knowledge of uprising

The Guardian - UK · Jun 28, 2023

Anticlimactic End to Wagner Group's Armed Rebellion in Russia

Plus: Florida drag law ruled unconstitutional, Meta cancels Canadian news posts, and more...

Reason · Jun 26, 2023

West: More sanctions, isolation if Putin carries out threats

How will American leaders and their allies respond if President Vladimir Putin seeks to escalate his way out of his bad situation on Ukraine’s battlefields

The Independent UK · Sep 24, 2022

Ukraine's successes stir once-unthinkable hope of beating Russia

The extraordinary speed and success of Ukraine's northern counteroffensive is raising possibilities that few entertained when Russia invaded Ukraine in February: That its military could be defeated, or that it might even collapse.

The Times of India · Sep 13, 2022

Now is the time to give Ukraine lethal weaponry we’ve so far held back

The battle for Kherson is critical — as almost every part of Ukraine’s entire 1,500-mile battlefront has been at one time or another since February 24. This time it is an acute test for both sides. It’s a test for the whole alliance backing Kyiv, as well as Russia.

Evening Standard · Sep 7, 2022

Lawrence Freedman: ‘Autocracies tend to make catastrophic decisions. That’s the case with Putin’

The military strategy expert and author of a new book on conflict says the flawed thinking behind Russia’s invasion stems from the inability of those at the top to take responsibility for mistakes

The Guardian - UK · Aug 21, 2022

Ukrainian forces to withdraw from eastern city of Sievierodonetsk

The last Ukrainian troops holding out in a desperate battle for the city of Sievierodonetsk are ordered to withdraw, but analysts say it is not a major strategic victory for Moscow.

ABC News · Jun 24, 2022

Russian victories in eastern Ukraine spark debate over course of war

Russian troops are making steady progress in Ukraine’s east on the back of more-concentrated artillery and air power, now controlling almost all of the Luhansk region and threatening to encircle thousands of Ukraine’s most experienced troops.

Tribune News Service · May 27, 2022

Zelenskiy urges ‘maximum sanctions’ against Russia in Davos speech

Ukrainian president tells business leaders they need to decide whether ‘brute force’ should rule the world

The Guardian - UK · May 23, 2022