Ukraine - Russia: the background

User icon Toby Green
28 February 2022
25 items

A list of reports, articles and other documents on the background to the ongoing war in Ukraine and commentary on possible futures. (Image: Viewsridge https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine.svg)


29 March 2022 English

This is a Tweet Thread written by Kamil Galeev, Galina Starovoitova Fellow at The Wilson Center. Since Ukraine is resolved to fight, the choice of a Russian historical track ultimately …


House of Commons Library · 1 March 2022 English

Sanctions aimed at Russia have been in place since 2014, following its annexation of Crimea and ongoing role in the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. In the build-up to the current …


House of Commons Library · 2 March 2022 English

In early November 2021, Russia began building up military forces along its border with Ukraine. Over 100,000 Russian troops and military assets were deployed in western Russia and Crimea. Further …


Llewellyn Consulting · 7 June 2004 English

This paper, commissioned but never published by Lehman Brothers - was released by one of its authors, John Llewellyn, during the Ukraine-Russia crisis because its finding are pertinent to what …


18 April 2022 English

Kamil Galeev, Galina Starovoitova Fellow at the Wilson Centre, looks at cultural memes, language, literature and culture to explain why the Russia-Ukraine war won't end in peace. A Tweet Thread. …


12 July 2021 English

This essay, On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians (Russian: Об историческом единстве русских и украинцев; Ukrainian: Про історичну єдність росіян та українців), was published by Vladimir Putin on …


House of Commons Library · 25 February 2022 English

On 21 February 2022, Russian President Putin announced Russia would formally recognise the areas of the Donbas under the control of Russianbacked separatist forces, as independent sovereign states. President Putin …


1 April 2022 English

This Tweet Thread was written by Kamil Galeev, Galina Starovoitova Fellow at the Wilson Center. Since Ukraine resolved to fight, the choice of a Russian historical track ultimately depends upon …


House of Commons Library · 16 February 2022 English

Nord Stream 2 (NS2) is a natural gas pipeline that directly connects Russia to Germany, via the Baltic Sea. It was launched in 2015 by Nord Stream 2 AG, a …


House of Commons Library · 18 February 2022 English

A Research Briefing by UK's House of Commons Library. In early November 2021 Russia began building up its military forces along the borders of Ukraine, for the second time in …


CRS: Congressional Research Service · 5 October 2021 English

A report produced by the US Congressional Research Service that provides background to the 2022 conflict between Russia and Ukraine.


House of Commons Library · 18 February 2022 English

This Briefing summarises the build up of Russian forces from November 2021, Russia's 'Red Lines', the international and diplomatic response and posits what may happen next.


FPRI: Foreign Policy Research Institute · 8 February 2022 English

On February 3, 2022, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Kyiv, where he met with his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelensky, for a pre-planned meeting to co-chair the tenth …


Cato Institute · 19 April 2021 English

Growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine are producing an surge of bluster from the Biden administration, as well as from the hawkish denizens of Washington’s think tanks. The administration keeps …


FPRI: Foreign Policy Research Institute · 21 January 2022 English

Introduction How will China respond to a potential Russian military escalation against Ukraine? Relations between Russia and China have intensified in recent years, with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping holding …


Cato Institute · 30 January 2022 English

Talks continue between the US and Russia, which is vital for both sides. However, Moscow dismissed Washington’s written response to its proposals as inadequate, offering the prospect of dialogue only …


RSIS: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies · 7 February 2022 English

Ukraine is of particular importance due to its strategic location and long history of being part of the Russian Empire and USSR. [...] So in reality, the West knows the …


CEIP: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace · 20 October 2021 English

After NATO expelled Russian officers and cut the mission’s size, Russia announced it will pull its diplomatic mission to NATO entirely. Why did Moscow reach this decision?


IISS: International Institute of Strategic Studies · 24 February 2022 English

This report provides an assessment of ten offensive cyber campaigns conducted by the US, Russia and China, warning that the future of offensive cyber operations may indeed be as dire …


ICG: International Crisis Group · 24 February 2022 English

A statement by International Crisis Group. Russia’s assault on Ukraine threatens to become the largest European conflict in decades. A vigorous but judicious Western and global response is critical to …


RUSI: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies · 15 February 2022 English

War looms over Europe. As Russian troops mass around Ukraine’s borders there is a palpable sense of crisis. In Ukraine, however, there is a combination of resignation and grim determination …


HRW: Human Rights Watch · 23 February 2022 English

This briefing summarises what international law governs an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine?


CSIS: Center for Strategic and International Studies · 13 January 2022

If peace talks fail, the Russian military has several options to advance into Ukraine through northern, central, and southern invasion routes. But a Russian attempt to seize and hold territory …


28 February 2022

Putin is trying to take down the entire world order, the veteran Russia watcher said in an interview. For many people, watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine has felt like …


The Conversation · 22 February 2022

Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham, UK and Tatyana Malyarenko, Professor of International Relations, National University Odesa Law Academy, Ukraine, deconstruct Putin's decision to recognise the independence …