Vitaly Portnikov

1 week ago | liga.net | Vitaly Portnikov

When I hear some so-called Russian liberals – and even some of our compatriots – talk about how Ukrainians "do not want to defend their homeland," how Ukrainian society is "tired of war," but during World War II, they say, everyone was ready to defend the country – even Stalin's children went to the front – I get scared. I did not expect to hear such a humiliation of the resilience of the Ukrainian soldier and the will of our society to resist .

2 weeks ago | liga.net | Vitaly Portnikov

When I recall the years of my acquaintance with Andriy Portnov, the years of observing his so-called political and raiding activities, the main thing that embarrasses me is the number of people who were only disguised as Ukrainian politicians, lawyers or businessmen, but in fact were absolutely obvious agents of Russian influence.

3 weeks ago | liga.net | Vitaly Portnikov

Discussions about the meaning and prospects of the talks in Istanbul should first of all take into account the fact that for Putin, the very proposal of negotiations turned out to be a chance to "repel" the European ultimatum on a ceasefire - and only. If there was no ultimatum, there would be no idea of negotiations. Because Putin is not interested in any negotiations. What is he interested in? He is interested in war and imitation of the negotiation process.

1 month ago | liga.net | Vitaly Portnikov

The results of the first round of the presidential election in Romania have once again reminded us how influential far-right and populist trends are becoming in our part of Europe. And not only here – the UK, Germany, France, and Italy are facing the same challenges. We can, of course, talk about the crisis of liberal democracy and that these results should be taken with understanding, especially against the backdrop of the triumph of new information technologies.

Mar 8, 2025 | blogs.timesofisrael.com | Vitalii Portnikov |Vitaly Portnikov

When Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, I warned that this was not a regional conflict but a global confrontation between democracies and dictatorships. It was a shift from a world governed by rules to a world ruled by terror. Yet, many in Israel dismissed this warning, insisting that it was merely a private struggle between Russia and Ukraine—one that had little to do with them. Even Iran’s growing support for Russia did not change this perception.