Charles S. Cockell Journalist Profile

Articles

Opinion: Now It’s Time to Pull Together

Jan 22, 2025 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

It is difficult to write an article, especially in the new year, imploring humanity to stop war without giving the impression of being an unrealistic idealist. But calling for an essential rationality on a planetary scale has become crucial for our survival. During Russia’s attack on Ukraine, we have seen the rebirth of distant memories (or memories that we hoped were confined to history) replayed on the European mainland.
Now It’s Time for Some Clarity

Jan 19, 2025 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

There comes a point, in democratic nations, when administrations are swept away, and we get to find out whether weakness on some great global matter of importance was really about government or instead some deeper deficit within the nation itself. The last three years have seen a parade of lethargy and lack of resolve in the democratic world, let’s be honest. It is certainly true that Ukraine has been provided with substantial military and financial support; one should not be ungracious.
Calling General George S. Patton

Dec 29, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

General George S. Patton died a death that was in some sense unfortunately banal. He hit his head against a partition in a car during a low-speed encounter with a truck in late 1945. But in many ways, it was a fitting way to go. Something more dramatic would have distracted from the color of his life, and anything that equaled the drama of his life would have been gruesome.
Where’s Your Tie, Mr. Zelensky?

Dec 15, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

It’s holiday season again, which means we are confronted by that age-old question: what should I wear to the defense of the free world? Is the attire to be business casual or is it acceptable to stop genocide in a cashmere sweater with a nice pair of trousers? Decisions, decisions. There is a certain coterie of people who seem exercised that the President of Ukraine insists on turning up to such events without a suit and tie.
One Thousand Days...

Nov 19, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

One thousand seconds. The time that elapses between peaceful sleep and the blurry rush to the air raid shelter, perhaps a bag in hand with some food and water. If time permits, a good book in the other hand. And in the middle of those 17 minutes, the transition from unconscious dreams to the platitudes and smiles of the shelter is marked by the raucous call of a mobile phone.
Leading the Free World

Nov 3, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

A democratic bloc needs a prominent nation that is ready to defend the collection of values that it cherishes. We call it free for shorthand, but what we mean is freedoms of expression, equality before the law, the rule of law, accountable and electable government, international respect for borders and self-determination. The list goes on, but the underlying principles are simple enough to grasp.
After the United Nations

Oct 27, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

When the United Nations was founded in 1945, it emerged from a world in ruins. In Europe and Asia, the rank application of totalitarian power had dissolved order, left tens of millions dead, and offered the new horror of systematic murder in concentration camps on an industrial scale implemented with engineering precision to the world. The world was numb. From this shock emerged the organization founded with principles that on the face of it are laudable.
Mars, Morals, and the War

Oct 20, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

That great technological strides often come from dark beginnings is a fact of history. It is well known that rocket technology, which can take humans to the Moon, Mars, and even further afield, had its moment of political awakening among the slave laborers who inhabited the dark tunnels of the Mittelwerk complex, fulfilling the intentions of their master, the rocket engineer Wernher von Braun. Today, while Ukraine fights for its existence, advances continue to be made in space exploration.
A Second Age of Europe

Oct 13, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

Whatever the short-term support from the US for Ukraine, on the horizon there remains the possibility of a Trump presidency in November. Even ignoring that, by now we should have learned that the security of Europe must be achievable by Europe alone. The events of the last two and a half years have made it crystal clear that Europe must develop the means to protect itself.
A Festival of Science and Technology

Oct 11, 2024 | kyivpost.com | Charles S. Cockell

The INSCIENCE conference held in Kyiv was a chance for aspiring scientists, technologists and start-up entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and build new initiatives across Ukraine. “And there are our penguins!” exclaimed the base commander, pointing into the distance. The birds were little black spots on the horizon, but they was indeed a small colony of penguins. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.