-How should Ukraine be viewed as a strategic partner and a voice on the world stage after nearly a year of conflict? What course might the fighting take moving forward?
– The situation remains grim. Soldiers and civilians lose their lives each day. The conflict has stretched into its third year, and there is no sign that the Kremlin plans to halt the aggression. Vladimir Putin continues to pursue control over additional lands, and international support for Ukraine has not deterred him.
It threatens the very existence of the Ukrainian people and the state. Citizens display remarkable resilience, but many see their lives shattered by the war. In the heart of winter, power outages, cold, and scarcity of heat and water become daily hardships.
– The heavy price paid for choosing to stay free from Russian influence.
-Yes. The cost is borne by a nation that acts as a democratic state, valuing its independence and rejecting subjugation. The struggle has roots going back to the Euromaidan protests of 2014, when more than a hundred lives were lost. The current war did not begin in 2022; it escalated with the 2014 invasion of Crimea and Donbas. Inadequate responses to those actions helped set the stage for this ongoing crisis.
Is Russia losing ground?
The goal of a quick victory collapsed. Yet the initial setbacks did not derail Moscow’s plan to overwhelm Ukraine. The country fights alongside the international community to halt the war, while the Russian military presses on, targeting critical infrastructure, launching missiles, and claiming civilian lives. In occupied areas, credible reports describe brutal actions with little accountability.
When asked how long the conflict might endure, it is explained that many Ukrainians still endure occupation. If the war stopped today, the threat from the Russian state would persist. Regaining all territories is essential to safeguard the people and ensure their survival.
-Does Putin aim to push the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders?
The lesson from 2014 is clear: if Putin is not stopped now, neighbors such as the Baltic states or Poland may be drawn into confrontation.
-Poland is within NATO’s umbrella.
There is a belief that Putin, a former KGB agent shaped by the Soviet era, aims to revive that empire. Propaganda from Russian sources has echoed ambitions to occupy major European cities and redraw borders, a tactic that has already manifested in 2014.
Is Western assistance adequate?
The support is appreciated. Countries have supplied tanks and, potentially, aircraft to bolster Ukrainian forces. European allies recognize the war has cost many lives and understand the need to assist. In roughly three months, the added military hardware could strengthen the counteroffensive. Yet Putin is unlikely to retreat; the conflict may intensify as he seeks further gains. The war crimes committed echo a dark chapter from the 1940s, underscoring the failure to negotiate a settlement that could have spared civilians.
Putin must be defeated soon. The victory of Ukraine would symbolize the triumph of European democratic values, and it relies on continued Western backing. This is a human rights struggle that Russia is waging against Ukraine, Belarus, and its own people.
The victory of Ukraine will be the victory of European democratic values.
-As the head of a leading Ukrainian media outlet, does journalism feel especially perilous?
The danger is immense. More than forty Ukrainian and international journalists have been killed since the war began. A trusted colleague, Brent Renaud, an American photographer, lost his life early on while documenting refugees. Journalists on the front lines face detention, attacks, and kidnap attempts; one colleague, Viktoria Roshchina, was held for eleven days before release. The profession is not only perilous but also a form of frontline reporting.
Journalism there feels like an ongoing challenge and an unpredictable adventure.
The Russians continuously try to disrupt information flow. After nine years at war, the resilience to power outages has grown, yet access to reliable reporting depends on fuel and logistics.
More than 40 journalists have been killed since the start of the war.”
The obstacles are numerous. Donations help, but ad revenue has fallen by more than 60 percent. There is real uncertainty about payroll in the coming months. Independent Ukrainian media depend on continued support to survive.
And surely, countering misinformation remains a constant effort.
Misinformation is deployed as a weapon, and propaganda aims to dehumanize Ukrainians and justify the war. A year before the invasion, Ukrainian authorities halted pro-Russian channels for their manipulation of news. These channels are now banned across Europe. The strategic aim of propaganda has been to erode trust at home and abroad. Free press faces ongoing pressure, and independent outlets have faced sustained challenges for years.