Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Oleksandr Demchenko
AI Chatbots, Smartphones, Robots: Our "Digital Teddy Bears" Carry A Dark Side
PARIS — “Oliver is part of my life. I hug him every night before I go to sleep. And when I feel distressed, I sometimes talk to him.” Let’s make it clear that Oliver is not the boyfriend of Julie, the 37-year-old journalist. He’s her teddy bear. An adorable cuddly toy, about 30 centimeters long, that she acquired some seven years ago and who hasn’t left her side since. “His presence reassures me”, confides the single woman, who lost her father at a very young age.
What Iran, Russia And China Seek To Gain From The Houthi Rebels' Red Sea Blockade
Geopolitics Newly recruited Houthi fighters training in Sanaa, Yemen. Geopolitics Newly recruited Houthi fighters training in Sanaa, Yemen. You've reached your limit of free articles. To read the full story, start your free trial today. Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime. Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time. Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.
Macron's Special Representative Pierre Heilbronn: "Our priority is to provide military aid to Ukraine until it wins"
President Emmanuel Macron has appointed you Special Envoy for Ukraine's Relief and Reconstruction. This position is unique to France, compared to other EU countries. Why did President Macron decide to create it in the midst of the war? Indeed, France is the first among the G7 countries to appoint a special envoy for relief and reconstruction. My position represents France's desire to help Ukraine in both the short and long term.
Macron's Special Envoy Pierre Heilbronn: "Our priority is to provide military aid to Ukraine until it wins"
President Emmanuel Macron has appointed you Special Envoy for Ukraine's Relief and Reconstruction. This position is unique to France, compared to other EU countries. Why did President Macron decide to create it in the midst of the war? Indeed, France is the first among the G7 countries to appoint a special envoy for relief and reconstruction. My position represents France's desire to help Ukraine in both the short and long term.
First It Was Poland's Farmers - Now Truckers Are Protesting Ukraine's Special Status
Already a subscriber? Log in . You've reached your limit of one free article. You can cancel anytime . Exclusive International news coverage Ad-free experience NEW Weekly digital Magazine NEW 9 daily & weekly Newsletters Access to Worldcrunch archives 30-days free access, then $2.90 per month. Annual Access BEST VALUE $19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.
What is happening with US aid?
To understand the situation, it is worth explaining what is currently happening in American political life. The country is heading towards the election of the president and a significant number of delegates - members of the House of Representatives and senators - to the US Congress. This race will be historic. It will change a lot in the United States and around the world. So the stakes are very high.
For Every Era, Its Own Fascism - Ours Is Starting To Look Like This
-Analysis- Across the globe, worrying trends are emerging in both politics and society. In the Netherlands, the Freedom Party, known for its anti-European, anti-Muslim, and anti-Ukrainian stance, recently won the national elections. In Argentina, newly elected president Javier Milei proposes an extreme solution to the economic crisis – destroying the central bank. Right-wing movements are gaining traction among young voters across Europe, seduced by neo-Nazi influences not seen since World War II.
Kissinger, who did not understand Putin
For more than 55 years, the world has lived by the rules created by Kissinger, among others. It was he, being the first National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under US President Nixon, who formed the Washington-Moscow-Beijing triangle. He also ensured that the authoritarian but oil-rich countries of the Middle East reoriented themselves towards the United States.
Dennis Ross, an advisor to Bush, Clinton, Obama: "Countries in the Middle East are no longer afraid of Russia"
Recently, I attended a private screening of a documentary about how Hamas militants massacred Israeli civilians on 7 October: shootings, rapes of underage girls, burning of babies... Was I shocked by what I saw? Yes. However, after everything that the Russians did in Bucha, Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities, the Hamas massacre looks like a continuation of the bloody banquet of the dictatorships that supported the terrorists.
Why Zelenskyy should fly to Israel
Serhiy Sydorenko, editor-in-chief of Yevropeyska Pravda, wrote that Zelenskyy thinks irrationally and is driven by emotions when it comes to supporting Israel and travelling there. This is a misconception of both the head of state and the approach to international relations in such a crisis situation.
Special Operation "Makhachkala". Why anti-Semite Putin needs Jewish pogroms in the Caucasus
To begin with, we need to understand one simple axiom: The North Caucasus is a region where anti-Semitic or other similar actions cannot spontaneously arise. Since the Second Chechen War, this region has been under the increased control of Russian special services, which monitor any activity of suspicious people. Power there is in the hands of officials vetted by the Kremlin: they are given the right to use force.
Israel's former National Security Council head Eyal Hulata: "Iran can now freely trade ballistic missiles with Russia"
"I am not sure that the terrorists deliberately hit the hospital in Gaza. But it is their responsibility." Do you understand what to do after the IDF ground operation? What will happen to Gaza? My view is that this war needs to end when Hamas is no longer the ruler of Gaza. I think Hamas lost its legitimacy to be in control. I think Hamas also lost its legitimacy to be governing a civilian population in Gaza Strip. And the hospital incident is an example for that.
Israeli intelligence expert Yossi Kuperwasser: "China and Russia's support for Iran is one of the reasons for the Hamas attack"
Do you have a feeling that we are on the verge of a big-scale war in the Middle East? Can we call the current events in the Gaza Strip and around Israel only the beginning of a great tragedy? It's not clear. It's a possibility that we have to be ready for. And Israel has taken the necessary precautions and the preparations to face such an eventuality. But it's not a necessity because there is a lot of considerations for Hezbollah to reconsider the idea of escalating. They see that Israel is ready.
"Every Day Counts" â How The U.S. Shutdown Melodrama Looks In Ukraine
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky with US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) and US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat of New York) in the Ohio Clock Corridor in the Capitol. FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky with US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) and US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat of New York) in the Ohio Clock Corridor in the Capitol.
Vadym Omelchenko: "If you hear Zelenskyy or Macron say that France will send weapons, they are already on the frontline"
Immediately after the NATO Summit in Vilnius, we heard from some British and Polish officials say that Ukraine should be more grateful for their support, that they have a certain fatigue with the war. Do you hear anything similar from French politicians and government officials? Or does Paris have a more adult view of the world? On the contrary, the French applauded President Zelenskyy's statements in Vilnius.
Ambassador Korniychuk denies reports about suspension of visa-free travel with Israel
Ukraine's ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk did not say that the Cabinet of Ministers was to consider suspending visa-free travel with Israel in the coming days. This information is not true, he told LB.ua. "The issue of suspending visa-free travel is indeed being considered in Kyiv at the highest political level, but there is no talk of an urgent government decision. This is a fake that, unfortunately, was picked up by the Ukrainian and some Israeli media," the ambassador said.
Ukraine's NATO Entry Is On Hold - Is The "Israel Model" A Viable Defense Alternative?
-Analysis- KYIV — During Joe Biden's recent interview with CNN, in which he said Ukraine cannot join NATO while the war with Russia is ongoing, the U.S. president proposed a possible alternative: Biden said that before Ukraine becomes a member of the alliance, the United States might consider providing Kyiv with security guarantees based on the “Israel Model.” The Americans understand that there is no consensus in NATO on Ukraine's accession as some countries are still afraid of the prospect...
A NATO that (does not) want Ukraine? What the Allies (did not) agree on in Vilnius
NATO leaders decided to cancel the intermediate stage of membership process, the Membership Action Plan (MAP), which was not granted to Kyiv and Tbilisi in 2008. At the time, they just mentioned that NATO's door remained open to Ukraine and Georgia. However, this weak and unwise policy has led to several wars waged by Putin. NATO acknowledged that Ukraine no longer needs the MAP as it is considered outdated, thanks to Ukraine's significant progress in reforms and defence interoperability.
Is Israel Quietly Moving Closer To Russia?
-Analysis- KYIV — While the whole world was discussing the attempted coup by Wagner Group mercenaries in Russia, the Ukrainian embassy in Israel said in a statement that the Israeli government was moving toward closer cooperation with Russia. "The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel regrets that the current government of Israel has chosen the path of close cooperation with the Russian Federation.
Who Is Maïwenn? Meet The Controversial French Director Who Hired Johnny Depp
PARIS — The 76th Cannes Film Festival has opened with controversy: the festival’s debut movie “Jeanne Du Barry” stars Johnny Depp, in the actor’s first major role since his dueling defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, which included multiple allegations of physical abuse. But there’s a would-be accomplice to this controversy in the film’s French director and co-star Maïwenn, a much discussed figure in her own right, who hired him to play the lead in her new movie.
Why Zelensky's Europe Tour Was So Important - Short And Long-Term
-Analysis- KYIV — The Ukrainian president's tour of four European countries has ended, and Volodymyr Zelensky is back in Kyiv with new military aid promises from Italy, Germany, France and the UK, including medium-range missiles, tanks, air defense and artillery shells. The UK also announced a new training program for Ukrainian pilots, and France has said it is ready to train fighter jet pilots.
Planes, Trains And E-Scooters: Our Surveillance State And The End Of Freedom Of Movement
-Essay- PARIS — A few years ago, I provoked the indignation of many readers when I confessed that I enjoyed using e-scooters in town — a subject obviously more explosive in France than pensions, surrogacy and wind energy combined. Let them be reassured: I've given up, and even boycott them now. For a simple reason: scooter operators now ask me to scan my ID card to unlock my two-wheeled transport.
"Only I Survived" - A Year Ago Her Family Was Exterminated By A Russian Missile
Iryna survived, but barely. Severely wounded in her city of Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, she spent eight days in a roofless house at -10°C until her neighbors found her. Then she spent 25 days in the basement of the local hospital under Russian occupation, beginning to be nursed back to health. But this story has no happy ending. On Feb. 24, 2022, at five in the morning, my son called me from Kharkiv and said they were being bombed.
Nuclear Weapons In Belarus - Why It May Have Been Xi Jinping's Idea
-Analysis- Vladimir Putin has decided to raise the nuclear stakes even further — to violate the Non-Proliferation Treaty by announcing his intention to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russian officials say they intend to build a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and has already converted 10 Belarusian aircraft to use this type of weapon. Moscow has also transferred to Minsk the Iskander missile systems capable of carrying such charges.
Why Beijing Needs Ukraine To Lose
This article was updated on March 21, 2023 at 12:15 PM CST -Analysis- KYIV — In Moscow for his visit since the Russian invasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping is presenting himself as possible peacemaker to end the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to talk with Xi in a bid to stop Beijing from supplying Moscow with weapons. And yet China has no strategic interest in Ukraine winning the war. Why?
Why Beijing Needs Ukraine To Lose
-Analysis- KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bid to stop Beijing from supplying Moscow with weapons. But China has no interest in Ukraine winning the war. Why? Xi is only thinking about the future world order being established on its terms, and the defeat of Ukraine and its allies, particularly the United States, would create an opportunity for Beijing to absorb Taiwan and increase its influence in the Pacific.
The Death Of Belarus' Foreign Minister Makei Tightens Kremlin Grip On Lukashenko
-Analysis- KYIV — Ukraine is closely following the events in Belarus, where the sudden death of Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei has sparked much discussion and speculation. Some are convinced that the 64-year-old was poisoned, perhaps targeted by the Kremlin to send a message to Belarus' strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko that he must increase his support for Moscow, including his readiness to enter the war against Ukraine.
What Links Iran's Killing Protesters And The Routine Of State Executions
-Editorial- In early September, before Iran's latest bout of anti-government protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, there was another, quieter demonstration: Relatives of several prisoners sentenced to death staged a sit-in outside the judiciary headquarters in Tehran, urging the authorities to waive the sentences. The crowd, which doggedly refused to disperse, included the convicts' young children.
One By One, The Former Soviet Republics Are Abandoning Putin
-Analysis- KYIV — Virtually all of Vladimir Putin's last remaining partner countries in the region are gone from his grip. Kazakhstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan have refused to help him turn the tide in the Ukraine war, because they've all come to understand that his next step would be a complete restoration of the empire, where their own sovereignty is lost.
In Call With Erdogan, Putin States His Demands For Ending War
A former shopping mall turned military weapon depot is burning in Kyiv after being targeted by several Russian rockets. ūüĎč Rimaykullayki!* Welcome to Friday, where Russian bombs hit the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Rescue operations are still underway for the hundreds of survivors in the rubble of Mariupol theater; meanwhile, Putin details his demands for the end of the war, in a phone call with Turkey‚Äôs Erdogan.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Oleksandr
Contact Oleksandr, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack