The Latest Breaking News from Olga Chyzh

Putin persists, Trump dithers – and a just peace for Ukraine still seems a long way off

The US president could embrace the role of peacemaker, or become the patsy who restored Russia’s imperial standing, says the University of Toronto’s Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Aug 31, 2025

Trump has brought Ukraine-Russia peace talks back to square one – just where Putin wants them

The Russian leader is a master manipulator. Until he is forced to face reality, there is no hope of ending the bloodshed, says the University of Toronto’s Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · May 20, 2025

Trump said Zelenskyy ‘does not have the cards’. But how well is he playing his own hand?

The US president has no interest in countering aggressors. His short-termist game plan will cost America dear, says political researcher Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Mar 2, 2025

Putin won’t lose Russia’s election, but his grip on power could be weakened

Even sham elections need to be conducted effectively – get them wrong and they can jeopardise a whole regime, says Olga Chyzh of the University of Toronto

The Guardian - UK · Jan 10, 2024

Putin should be under no illusion – Xi is not Russia’s knight in shining armour

China’s leader knows full well his country cannot pay the price – economic or political – of openly challenging the west, says political science professor Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Mar 22, 2023

Putin enables the lifestyle of Russia’s elite – until they lose faith, there is little hope of peace

Better targeting of wealthy Russians’ ill-gotten gains abroad, combined with military defeats, might sway their loyalty, says academic Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Mar 17, 2023

When will Putin give up Ukraine? Only when his inner circle forces him to stop

Unlike western leaders, the Russian president does not answer to voters or the media. Which means he plays a much, much longer game, says political science academic Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Jan 22, 2023

Putin needs nothing short of a miracle to avoid a devastating defeat in Ukraine

Troops melting away and Russians fleeing abroad to avoid mobilisation doesn’t augur well for Putin’s latest gamble, says researcher Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Sep 23, 2022

Putin’s key supporters are now playing a desperate face-saving game in Ukraine

Russia’s humiliated military and intelligence blocs know they have let their leader down, and need the war to go on, says political science expert Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Apr 20, 2022

The sanctions strategy is flawed. To defeat Putin, you have to know how the Kremlin works

The west misunderstands the Russian concept of oligarchy, which leaves these powerful actors more beholden to the state, says Olga Chyzh

The Guardian - UK · Mar 8, 2022