Abstract:
At the threshold of its third year, Russia's large-scale and brutal war against Ukraine continues to kill thousands, terrorize millions of Ukrainians, and disrupt international supply chains, affecting global energy and food markets. This is the second journal issue dedicated to the ongoing war. It dwells on the issue of lustration - a problem Ukraine did not effectively address during its post-communist transition, which in turn led to the perpetuation of the Kremlin's ideology and, thus, its continuous influence on Ukrainian politics and society. Two articles explore the rationale for including Russia in the U.S. Department of State's list of state sponsors of terrorism. While some European countries and the European Parliament have already declared Russia a terrorist state, the debate in the United States is influenced by numerous additional considerations, and the decision is still pending. The link between military expenditures, defense industrial investments, and the general economic development and stability in wartime is also examined in detail. The final two articles analyze Moscow's interests and strategy towards the post-Soviet states and the strategically important Black Sea region.
