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Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now a grinding war of attrition concentrated on the Donbas. Reports detail the day-to-day fighting, destruction, and other developments, but the following Defense Priorities analysis aims to improve understanding of the broader implications of the war and the U.S. role in it.

UKRAINE EXPERTS

Benjamin
Friedman

Policy Director

Defense Priorities

Daniel
Davis

Senior Fellow & Military Expert

Defense Priorities

Daniel
DePetris

Fellow

Defense Priorities

Lyle
Goldstein

Director, Asia Program

Defense Priorities

Jennifer
Kavanagh

Senior Fellow & Director of Military Analysis

Defense Priorities

Christopher
McCallion

Fellow

Defense Priorities

Rajan
Menon

Former Non-Resident Senior Fellow

Defense Priorities

William
Ruger

Former Non-Resident Senior Fellow

Defense Priorities

op-edNATO, Alliances, Ukraine‑Russia

Europe debates the bomb

By Daniel DePetris

February 19, 2026

Last weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Germany for the annual Munich Security Conference, where he delivered a speech that […]

op-edUkraine‑Russia, Europe and Eurasia, Russia, Ukraine

Ukraine and Russia are both suffering as the war enters its fifth year

By Daniel DePetris

February 10, 2026

op-edGrand strategy, Iran, U.S.‑Iran, Ukraine, Ukraine‑Russia

What happens when we give Europe first dibs on U.S. missiles for war

By Jennifer Kavanagh

February 9, 2026

Symposia: Lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

As the one-year mark of the Ukraine-Russia war approaches, Moscow has failed in many of its objectives. Ukraine has effectively blunted several major Russian advances and reclaimed large swaths of its territory from invading forces. Though the war continues, and seems far from over, there are already many key takeaways from the fighting—and the conflict’s causes and implications remain hotly contested.

Defense Priorities (DEFP) organized this symposium to stimulate thinking about the most important lessons learned from this ongoing war. Top experts, writing from a range of perspectives, share their insights in an effort to inform and improve U.S. policy.