
Quarterly
The Ukrainians rooting for Russia
Ukraine’s summer offensive has been dogged by casualties. Russia’s resilience may have been aided by sympathisers on the frontline – as Will Brown discovered when he visited earlier this year
Quarterly
Ukraine’s summer offensive has been dogged by casualties. Russia’s resilience may have been aided by sympathisers on the frontline – as Will Brown discovered when he visited earlier this year
Sensemaker Audio
Andriy Pilschikov was a fighter pilot who caught the attention and imagination of those in the West. He was part of Ukraine’s clamour for F-16 fighter planes, but why is the country so keen for them?
Sensemaker
The EU says X is helping the Kremlin spread misinformation
Sensemaker
The mystery of why Ukraine is sending so many drones into Russia may not be a mystery after all. An intelligence official speaks
Slow Newscast
In late June, Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow with a small army of mercenaries. Exactly two months later, he was dead. This is the story of what really happened on the road to Moscow
Sensemaker
Sensemaker Audio
How some Russians with lots of money and close links to Vladimir Putin have managed to sidestep sanctions.
Sensemaker
The 700,000 Ukrainian children deported to Russia are a problem with a deadline. Every day they stay there makes it harder to get them back.
Sensemaker Audio
When he was president Dmitry Medvedev was relatively moderate. Now he’s threatening to use nuclear escalation.
Sensemaker Audio
Andriy Pilschikov was a fighter pilot who caught the attention and imagination of those in the West. He was part of Ukraine’s clamour for F-16 fighter planes, but why is the country so keen for them?
Slow Newscast
In late June, Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow with a small army of mercenaries. Exactly two months later, he was dead. This is the story of what really happened on the road to Moscow
Sensemaker Audio
How some Russians with lots of money and close links to Vladimir Putin have managed to sidestep sanctions.
Sensemaker Audio
When he was president Dmitry Medvedev was relatively moderate. Now he’s threatening to use nuclear escalation.
Sensemaker Audio
After an aborted rebellion against Russia’s military leaders, the head of the Wagner Group was thought to be in Belarus. But new reports suggest Yevgeny Prigozhin is in Russia. Where is he and why does it matter?
Sensemaker Audio
The Belarusian president has been hailed as a hero by some Russians after brokering a deal that ended a rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group. What is his relationship with Vladimir Putin?
Sensemaker Audio
The rebellion by Wagner mercenaries lasted little more than than 24 hours but it could still have far reaching consequences for Russia and its war in Ukraine.
Sensemaker Audio
It has been revealed that Western allies were warned about a Ukrainian plot months before three explosions caused leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Will we ever know who did it?
Sensemaker Audio
An explosion at a vast Ukrainian dam that sent flood water cascading into neighbourhoods on either side of the Dnipro river has caused international outrage. What does it tell us about the next stage of the war?
thinkin
This is a newsroom ThinkIn. In-person and digital-only tickets are available. As the death of the Queen dominated global headlines and most of the news schedules in the UK, the war in Ukraine all but disappeared from the media. But as newsfeeds return to normal service, where are we now with the war in Ukraine? Governments around the world are faced with tackling the consequences of the conflict on their doorstep, including soaring food and energy prices, broken supply chains and frustrated electorates looking for solutions. In the US, support for the war is about to become a political football as the midterms approach in November, and how much longer can the EU maintain a united stance when Hungary is calling for Kyiv to surrender? Join us for a special ThinkIn where we take stock of the international perspective and geopolitical realities on the war in Ukraine and explore if local and regional pressures are in danger of distracting global support at the time when it needs it the most. editor and invited experts Giles Whittell Sensemaker Editor Mariya Zolkina Political Analyst at the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation Nina Kuryata Editorial contributor, Tortoise Professor Lawrence Freedman Historian, author and Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King’s College London
thinkin
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the ongoing effects of the global pandemic have shaken the world in the past two years like nobody could have predicted. Ramifications in the form of food shortages, inflation and mass displacement are increasing in severity — the UN recently announced that the number of displaced people has passed 100 million for the first time. How have such catastrophic events been handled, and what led us to them in the first place? Governments and organisations are responding collectively to support refugees, with resettlement and sponsorship schemes, for example. Simultaneously, the UK Government’s partnership with Rwanda is soon to launch. How does the way we respond to protracted human crises reflect society, and what does this mean for the global order?Join us for a ThinkIn with one of the most respected voices in global governance today, Rory Stewart, and award-winning journalist Helen Benedict, where we’ll discuss leadership, responsibility and empathy in an era of geopolitical turbulence. editor and invited experts James HardingCo-Founder and Editor Helen BenedictAward-winning Journalist and Author of ‘Map of Hope and Sorrow’ Rory StewartFormer Minister of State, Department for International Development
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn. Come to any of our ThinkIns on the invasion of Ukraine for free to contribute to the discussion, using the invite code JOININ.The polls suggest that Britain wants to welcome Ukrainian refugees, and the government has announced commitments to allow more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees into the country. But a difficult dilemma remains: many people voted Brexit so the UK would reclaim control of its borders, and two weeks after the invasion, the number of visas issued remains very small. Britain has issued under 1,000 visas – an amount dwarfed by smaller European countries like Moldova and Romania. How can the government reconcile its pledge to impose tighter controls on immigration, with the need to respond to the refugee crisis caused by the invasion? Was the confusion around entry requirements just incompetence, or is time to admit the UK is now a hostile environment for migrants? editor and invited experts Giles WhittellSensemaker Editor Daniel SohegeSafeguarding Expert, Love146 Enver SolomonChief Executive, Refugee Council
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn.The widely circulating images of Russian tanks and armoured cars rolling into Ukraine are powerful and deeply alarming. But at the same time, they are not exactly the futuristic images of modern warfare that one might have imagined from 2022. Instead, many of the photos are of Russian vehicles stuck in the mud or with burst tyres. This makes it seem as if Russia’s military isn’t quite as well-funded, and highly technical as many have imagined. Reports have instead suggested that Ukrainian forces have destroyed numerous Russian armoured vehicles using cheap drones from Turkey. Why is this the case? Is the invasion of Ukraine hampered by poor maintenance, obsolete hardware or general lack of preparation? As Nato strengthens the presence of troops, planes and defensive weapons across bases in member countries, are Nato forces better prepared? editor and invited experts Giles WhittellSensemaker Editor Bettina RenzProfessor of International Security, University of Nottingham Sam Cranny-EvansResearch analyst, Military Sciences, RUSI
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkInIs Putin’s nostalgia for the Soviet Union and obsession with Ukraine shared by fellow Russians? For months, Russia has been sending troops and equipment to the Ukrainian borders. The original stated aim was to limit the expansion of Nato, but after weeks of outfoxing western countries with performative diplomacy, Vladimir Putin finally ordered his troops into Ukraine.Countries around the world are turning to increasingly tougher sanctions. And sanctions are likely to hit the poorest the hardest: Russia’s average annual per capita income is around one fifth of that in the U.S. So how will Putin’s actions, and the West’s economic responses play out locally? Does the invasion of Ukraine mark the beginning of the end of the Putin presidency, or is this the start of an aggressive new chapter? editor and invited experts Giles WhittellSensemaker Editor Melinda HaringDeputy Director, Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Centre Professor Sam GreeneDirector of King’s Russia Institute & Professor of Russian Politics Sir Roderic LyneFormer UK Ambassador to Russia
thinkin
This Open News Meeting will be held on Twitter Spaces. Follow @tortoise for live updates. On Wednesday evenings, Tortoise journalists have a weekly news meeting to discuss the live news agenda. editor James HardingCo-Founder and Editor
thinkin
This Open News Meeting will be held on Twitter Spaces. Follow @tortoise for live updates.On Wednesday evenings, Tortoise journalists have a weekly news meeting to discuss the live news agenda. For the time being, we will be covering the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, what this means for those still trapped inside the country, those fleeing, and the impact the conflict will have on neighbouring countries and foreign allies. editor James HardingCo-Founder and Editor
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn. Come to any of our ThinkIns on the invasion of Ukraine for free to contribute to the discussion, using the invite code JOININ.On Wednesday evenings, Tortoise journalists have a weekly news meeting to discuss the live news agenda. For the time being, we will be covering the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, what this means for those still trapped inside the country, those fleeing, and the impact the conflict will have on neighbouring countries and foreign allies. editor James HardingCo-Founder and Editor
Quarterly
Ukraine’s summer offensive has been dogged by casualties. Russia’s resilience may have been aided by sympathisers on the frontline – as Will Brown discovered when he visited earlier this year
Sensemaker
The EU says X is helping the Kremlin spread misinformation
Sensemaker
The mystery of why Ukraine is sending so many drones into Russia may not be a mystery after all. An intelligence official speaks
Sensemaker
Sensemaker
The 700,000 Ukrainian children deported to Russia are a problem with a deadline. Every day they stay there makes it harder to get them back.
Sensemaker
Sensemaker
Sensemaker
Sensemaker