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The article describes the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the economic motives behind it. Russia is trying to destroy Ukraine because a economically successful and Europe-oriented Ukraine highlights Russia's own problems. The Kremlin discredits Ukraine as the "Kiev junta" or "fascists/Nazis" and views Ukraine's independence as a Western-orchestrated coup. Russia aims for Eurasian integration, in which Ukraine plays an important role in balancing Moscow's economic power. The integration of Ukraine into an economic union would expand the market for Russian producers and transfer the burden of subsidizing Russian producers onto Ukrainians. The article discusses how Russia's demographic problems and economic difficulties could lead to considering Ukraine as a possible solution. Russia is struggling with problematic demographic trends and relies on migrants from former Soviet republics, who are not accepted by the Russian population. Russia's economic attractiveness as an immigration destination is decreasing, leading to a decline in immigration. The article argues that Putin's actions regarding Ukraine can be seen as a desperate attempt to secure his own socio-economic resources. However, Western sanctions and Ukraine's resistance have led to economic turmoil in Russia. [Extracted from the article]

The article analyzes the Belarusian pro-democratic movement headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, and discusses how Warsaw inadvertently became a vehicle for realizing the goals of Poland's foreign policy in the post-Soviet world. Topics include the rule of law and the rise of populism in Poland; understanding the role that urban politics plays in the Eastern European political calculus in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and U.S. President Joe Biden's March 2022 visit to Poland.