Doug Klain
Washington, D.C.
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Articles by Doug Klain
As Putin grows more bold, here’s how Trump can fight back
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As Putin grows more bold, here's how Trump can fight back Original
After weeks of escalating strikes on Ukraine, Vladimir Putin sent three Russian fighter jets into NATO airspace on Friday headed towards the capital of Estonia — before Italian F-35s moved to intercept them. Immediately afterwards, the European Union announced it would meet President Donald Trump’s conditions for sanctions by banning Russian energy. Fresh polling finds that Republican voters are itching for action on Russia, and if Trump doesn’t move first Congress looks ready to force his hand.
Cutting arms to Ukraine only emboldens Putin — and sinks Trump’s chances for peace Original
On June 10, I woke up at 2 a.m. to the sound of a Russian-Iranian suicide drone exploding just outside my hotel’s window in Kyiv as it was intercepted by an air defense missile. Before heading down to the bomb shelter, I heard three more. A week later, more than 280 drones and several ballistic missiles targeted Ukraine’s capital, killing at least 28 people. Among them was American citizen Fred Grandy.
A pragmatic peace plan for Ukraine
Almost two months since the start of negotiations between the United States and Russia over the war in Ukraine, it is clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in no hurry to end his invasion. While Ukraine has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire, Russia refuses to do likewise. Instead, the Kremlin continues to make excuses and employ a range of stalling tactics in an apparent bid to drag out the negotiating process indefinitely.
Russian advance slows in March as Putin’s invasion loses momentum
Russia’s Ukraine invasion continued to lose momentum in March 2025, with the Kremlin’s territorial gains reportedly falling for a fourth consecutive month. According to new data from the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces captured 240 square kilometers of Ukrainian land throughout March, representing the smallest monthly total since the current wave of offensive operations began in summer 2024.
Peace on Putin’s terms would lead to a new era of international insecurity
As the new United States administration seeks to transform the country’s foreign policy, one of President Trump’s top priorities is a peace agreement to end the Russian war in Ukraine. However, there is a very real danger that the US leader’s eagerness to strike a deal with Vladimir Putin could lead to a flawed settlement that will undermine the foundations of international security for many years to come.
Still no consensus on using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine
A bipartisan group of United States senators have recently called on the Trump administration to consider handing Ukraine over $300 billion in frozen Russian assets. In a March 21 letter addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, senior Republicans including Lindsey Graham joined their Democrat colleagues in pressing for the frozen funds to be allocated to the Ukrainian war effort.
UN report: Russia is guilty of crimes against humanity in occupied Ukraine
A United Nations probe has concluded that Russia is guilty of committing crimes against humanity in the occupied regions of Ukraine. The investigation focused on the Kremlin’s large-scale program of detentions and deportations targeting Ukrainian civilians living under Russian occupation, and confirms earlier reports regarding the terror tactics being employed by Putin’s invasion force.
How Europe Should Respond to Trump's Russia Reset
It’s usually not a good sign when Moscow cheers developments in Washington. President Donald Trump’s public blowup with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office coupled with the freezing of military assistance and intelligence sharing are the clearest signs yet of Trump’s attempted rapprochement with Russia and break with Washington’s allies in Europe.
Mass Kidnapping Won't Solve Putin's People Problem
Russia is not just stealing Ukrainian land and property, it is also stealing people. Its need is urgent. The hunt for able-bodied men and women is a central aim of the Kremlin’s colonial quest because it’s fighting and losing a demographic battle on the home front. The 3 million or so Ukrainians living in the occupied lands are the target of sustained campaigns to make them “new Russians.” But a captive does not a Russian make.
Trump’s ‘Peace’ - Sacrificing Millions to Putin’s Butchers
After sidestepping questions about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for much of the 2024 US presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have breathed new life into talk of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow to settle the war — with many of these discussions involving Ukraine surrendering territory to Russia. One crucial element is left out — the fate of the millions of Ukrainians who would be surrendered with that land.
Why Ukraine will remain central to the future of European security
Although it is currently common to talk about the West as a unitary actor in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian War, the stakes actually differ significantly on the two opposite sides of the Atlantic. Most obviously, if Russia succeeds in Ukraine and goes further, Europe will become a battlefield. With this in mind, it makes sense in terms of security strategy to think of Europe individually as well as part of the broader Western world.
Too many still view Ukraine through the prism of Russian imperialism
“There are only so many books on Ukraine we can review each month,” an editor from a major British newspaper tells me at one of the country’s largest literary festivals. He looks a bit uncomfortable, almost apologetic. He wants me to understand that if it were up to him, he’d review a book on Ukraine every day, but that’s just not how the industry works.
Indian PM Modi visits Ukraine to open new foreign policy horizons
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an historic visit to Kyiv in late August, becoming the first Indian leader to travel to the country since Ukraine regained independence in 1991. Modi’s arrival in the Ukrainian capital was billed as part of ongoing international efforts to secure a peaceful resolution to the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Opinion: What a Trump presidency could look like for Ukraine
“Trump will end the Ukraine war.” This message greeted the audience just before U.S. Senator J.D. Vance emerged to accept his party’s nomination for the vice presidency. With Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump aiming to retake the presidency after the November elections, his stance on Ukraine and Russia dominates discussion about the war.
Russia’s ‘Global Majority’? Struggling to Find the Numbers
The Kremlin likes to describe itself as the epicenter of a world movement, a beacon for a “non-Western world” oppressed by Americans and assorted lackeys denying the rights of the global majority. You might imagine this propaganda theme would resonate with the world’s poor and downtrodden. So far, however, there’s little sign it’s attracted anyone except the usual suspects in Tehran, Pyongyang, and a handful of other countries with atrocious human rights records.
The Biden-Trump Presidential Debate
On Thursday, June 27, CNN will host the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle. After months of speaking at each other in campaign rallies, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will finally have an opportunity to directly engage in discussion. Domestic politics often dominate presidential debates, but with ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East in addition to U.S.-China competition, 2024 could be different.
Russia Belatedly Joins the ‘Chinese Dream’
To begin with, Xi Jinping wasn’t keen on Russia. His priorities lay elsewhere. Xi’s three priorities since coming to power have been to ensure that the color of the red flag doesn’t fade, that China catches up with the United States economically and militarily, and finally to bring about the so-called unification of the motherland (by which he means the reincorporation of Taiwan). This is what is known as his Chinese Dream.
Ukraine urgently needs air defenses as Russia decimates power grid
A series of Russian drone and missile attacks beginning March 22 has destroyed much of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The damage, which will cost billions of dollars and many months to repair, has crippled Ukraine’s ability to light and heat itself for the medium term and marks a major escalation in Russia’s ongoing invasion. The latest wave of Russian airstrikes has been notable for its breadth.
Russia Is Betting on Battlefield Gains
The U.S. Congress has delayed supplemental assistance to Ukraine for seven months, and the lack of urgency is resulting in dire new realities on the battlefield. With Ukrainian forces fortifying the front line ahead of a new Russian offensive expected in the spring or early summer, a failure to swiftly resupply Ukraine’s troops with ammunition could result in Russia’s greatest gains since the early days of the full-scale invasion.
Russia Is Betting on Battlefield Gains
Argument An expert's point of view on a current event. Members of Ukraine’s 72nd Brigade anti-air unit use binoculars to search for Russian drones near Marinka, Ukraine, on Feb. 23. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Military Security United States Russia Ukraine The U.S. Congress has delayed supplemental assistance to Ukraine for seven months, and the lack of urgency is resulting in dire new realities on the battlefield.
To Prepare for a Second Trump Term, Europe Must Bolster Its Security
Argument An expert's point of view on a current event. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks to journalists at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 16. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images Foreign & Public Diplomacy Military Security United States Russia Europe Ukraine When U.S. President Joe Biden declared that “America is back” after ousting Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, many European capitals were relieved.
Opinion: Kiggans remains resolute on supporting Ukraine Original
Congress is under pressure to meet America’s national security commitments to our friends in Ukraine. Despite a growing partisan split and isolationist impulses among some Republicans, Virginia Rep. Jennifer Kiggans has shown reassuring leadership by making sure politics stays out of critical foreign policy issues. With more important votes coming up on Ukraine, Virginians should feel confident that Kiggans will maintain this support.
Speaker Johnson’s first order of business needs to be support for Ukraine
Congress is open for business again, and the first order of business for new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson should be appropriating supplemental funds for crucial national security issues, including Ukraine. After Rep. Kevin McCarthy was dramatically ousted as Speaker, America’s allies in Europe worried that Washington was losing its mettle and might soon abandon our partners in Ukraine just as they continued to make progress in their counteroffensive.
Beyond Ukraine's Western Allies, Condemnation of Putin has Been Lacking. Can Ukraine Appeal to the Global South? – Byline Times
Receive our Behind the Headlines email and we’ll post a free copy of Byline Times While fighting to liberate its territory from Russia, Ukraine has also fought to garner sympathy and support from the international community, particularly from the global South. Despite some recent high-profile setbacks, Ukraine’s diplomats have a shot at adapting their messages for a less sympathetic audience and capitalizing on Russia’s own splintering partnerships.
Doug Klain: How to open NATO’s door for Ukraine
Despite more than two-thirds of NATO members supporting a path for Ukraine into the alliance, Ukraine got a flat no. The alliance’s decision at the 2023 Vilnius summit was both unsurprising and a disappointment.
Biden’s risking his legacy on Ukraine Original
President Joe Biden needs a big foreign policy win. After the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, he has the chance to make Ukraine’s victory over Russia and the revitalization of the transatlantic alliance his real foreign policy legacy. But after a series of recent missteps, there appears to be a widening gap between the defiant president who strolled around Kyiv despite air raid sirens and the leader who may be losing the will to win.
Don’t let Ukraine become just another partisan divide
Americans support Ukraine. It was a fact long before Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine last year that support for the nation’s resistance against Kremlin aggression is one of the few remarkably bipartisan issues in U.S. politics. But more than a year into Russia’s full-scale invasion, that support is slipping — and leading Republicans are exploiting it. Last week, Florida Gov.
Victory Is the Only Way to Bring Ukraine’s Kidnapped People Home
Weeks before Russia’s military leaders announced a retreat from the Ukrainian regional capital of Kherson, they began forcibly taking the Ukrainian residents of the region deeper into occupied Russian territory and shipping some of them off to the Russian interior. These forced deportations are part of a larger program that has taken at least hundreds of thousands of people, and it is one that Russia had reportedly been planning since before it even invaded Ukraine.
Meet the Ukrainian TV star fundraising millions for the country’s war effort
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the GENERATION UA series, which aims to introduce international audiences to the emerging generation of Ukrainian public figures and politicians. It’s been a busy year for one of Ukraine’s most famous TV stars as he takes on a new wartime role. Serhiy Prytula’s crowdfunding efforts for the Ukrainian military have grown into a pillar of the country’s civil society and a symbol of Ukraine’s remarkable resistance to Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Russia’s terror tactics: Putin escalates attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets
Vladimir Putin dramatically escalated his invasion of Ukraine on October 10 with the biggest wave of airstrikes since his army first crossed the border almost eight months ago. Russian forces fired more than 80 missiles and dozens of Iranian-made kamikaze drones at non-military targets across Ukraine, killing at least 19 Ukrainian civilians and leaving dozens wounded while temporarily plunging much of the country into darkness.
The United States will also benefit from Ukraine's European integration
The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is already widely recognized as a watershed moment in modern European history. Clearly, the pre-war European security system is no longer viable and new approaches are required. As Ukrainian troops continue to liberate their country from Russian occupation, a consensus is emerging that the future stability of the continent will depend on Ukraine’s further integration into the European Union.
Vladimir Putin has little reason to celebrate on his seventieth birthday
Vladimir Putin marks his seventieth birthday on October 7 but the Russian ruler has little reason to celebrate. For much of his 22-year reign, Putin has been credited with rejuvenating Russia and returning the country to the forefront of world affairs following the humiliations of the 1990s. However, his decision to invade Ukraine has made him personally toxic and left Russia more internationally isolated than ever. In less than one year, Putin the Great has become Putin the Pariah.
Ukraine’s top NATO priority should be weapons not fast-track membership
Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bogus September 30 annexation of four partially-occupied Ukrainian regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially applied for fast-track NATO membership. The Ukrainian leader’s desire is understandable, but his timing is questionable.
Russia's Untrained Conscripts Can't Win a War
Russian troops are being trained to be cannon fodder. Reservists drafted during Russia's partial mobilization attend a departure ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sept. 27. Stringer/AFP via Getty Images Six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged that his “special military operation” to eradicate the Ukrainian nation wouldn’t require a general mobilization of Russia’s men, the flagging leader has doubled back on his word, sparking outrage across Russia.
Russia Is Seeding Ukraine’s Soil With Land Mines
Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine has been raging for nearly seven months—and even if Kyiv wins, the wounds will remain. While Ukrainians try to keep life going despite rockets flying overhead, Russian forces have hidden land mines across the country, keeping refugees from returning home and endangering farmers planting their crops. Already, Ukrainian troops are discovering explosives left by retreating Russians in newly liberated territories in the Kharkiv region.
How Putin is using the threat of a new Chernobyl to punish Ukraine Original
After weeks of global calls for Russia to allow international inspectors into the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the world welcomed news that French President Emanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to inspections and demilitarization of the plant. But murky details and circumstances of the agreement should give observers pause.
D'Anieri speaks with BBC World News about Ukraine's Crimea strike
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Ukraine’s Strike in Crimea Could Be a Turning Point in the War
Ukraine is showing that it intends to make good on President Zelenskyy’s pledge to liberate all of the territory captured by Russia—including Crimea. As Zelenskyy announced to the world, this war may have started with Crimea’s seizure, but it will end with Crimea’s liberation. Doug Klain in The Bulwark More about our experts
Ukraine’s Strike in Crimea Could Be a Turning Point in the War
Russians lounging on a beach near Novofedorivka in occupied Crimea were startled by two massive explosions rising over the nearby military air base. Soon, the roads were jammed as cars fled over the Kerch Strait Bridge, a towering monument to Russia’s 2014 conquest of the Ukrainian peninsula. On Tuesday, Ukraine conducted its most daring strike since it sank the Russian Black Sea flagship Moskva.
Ukraine’s battle for Kherson could be a key victory
The looming battle of Kherson will be one of Ukraine’s most important fights since the defense of Kyiv. With the smart use of its new arsenal and a bit of luck, Ukraine just might be able to turn the tide against the invaders and give the world a glimpse of what a Russian defeat looks like. Doug Klain in Foreign Policy More about our experts
Ukraine’s Battle for Kherson Could Be Key
Ukraine’s Battle for Kherson Could Be Key
Ukraine’s Battle for Kherson Could Be a Key Victory
Over the last two weeks, Ukraine has successfully bombarded key bridges along the Dnipro River and forced Russian reinforcements onto vulnerable floating bridges, the first step in its plan to encircle, siege, and eventually retake the city of Kherson—a strategically important port city quickly captured by Russia in March. If successful, the liberation of Kherson would be one of Ukraine’s most significant victories since Russia launched its invasion.
How Ukrainian media can survive Russia's war
For decades, the media landscape in Ukraine has been dynamic and critical to the development of the Ukrainian nation, with top voices from independent media and oligarch-controlled organizations consistently setting the agenda. But since Russia’s February 24 full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s many television news stations have combined into one central channel to provide critical information to a nation under siege.
KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice
Andrew D’Anieri, Doug Klain: Could Snake Island be the next hot spot in Vladimir Putin’s …
Putin's Russia is all we feared it would be
For years, experts have warned that Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinOvernight Defense & National Security — Austin mandates vaccine for Guardsmen Russia's ultimatum: Will Ukraine negotiate peace or risk conflict?
Doug Klain: France and Germany seem to forget who's behind Russia's war on Ukraine
Russia's War Against Ukraine Ukraine-European Union Relations Ukraine-Russia relations Doug Klain: France and Germany seem to forget who’s behind Russia’s war on Ukraine Published Nov. 6 at 3:47 pm A woman holding a portrait of her dead son cries during a church service commemorating the co-called - Cyborgs - Ukrainian servicemen killed while defending the Donetsk airport in 2015 during the war against Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country, Kyiv, Jan. 21, 2020.
France and Germany seem to forget who's behind Russia's war on Ukraine
After witnessing nearly eight years of the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, one would think the international community would be clear-eyed about what kind of a war is being waged in the Donbas region and who is responsible for it. France and Germany’s recent strange attempts at whataboutism, spurred by a Ukrainian drone strike last week, unfairly let Moscow off the hook for the conflict it keeps alive and kicking.
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