Mykhailo Soldatenko

Anna Bower, a senior editor at Lawfare, Chris Mirasola, a legal expert, and Mykhailo Soldatenko, a Harvard scholar focusing on Ukraine and Russia, delve into pressing national security topics. They analyze the recent high-stakes diplomacy involving President Trump, Putin, and Zelensky, discussing the complexities of negotiating peace in the Ukraine conflict. The trio also explores federal law enforcement's controversial role in D.C. and the legal intricacies of military deployment, alongside intriguing insights into the Epstein files and their political ramifications.

Anastasiia Lapatina, Lawfare's Ukraine Fellow and author of the Yours Ukrainian Substack, joins Mykhailo Soldatenko, a Legal Fellow and Harvard Law doctoral candidate, to dissect the tumultuous events in Ukraine-Russia relations. They discuss surprise attacks, troop movements, and stalled peace talks in Istanbul. The conversation delves into the complexity of prisoner exchanges, Russia's pressure tactics in negotiations, and the evolving Ukrainian identity amid conflict, emphasizing the geopolitical stakes and the implications for NATO.

Minna Ålander, an expert on Nordic-Baltic security, joins Mykhailo Soldatenko, a Harvard scholar specializing in international law, to dissect recent Russian air incursions into NATO territory. They discuss whether NATO's responses have been proportional and the legal implications of these actions. Key points include the intentionality behind airspace violations, the high thresholds for NATO obligations, and the U.S. government's hesitancy in response. Their insights provide a deep dive into the complexities of military strategy and legal frameworks in the current geopolitical climate.

This discussion features Eric Ciaramella, a Carnegie Senior Fellow specializing in foreign policy, along with Anastasiia Lapatina and Mykhailo Soldatenko, experts in Ukrainian affairs and legal issues. They dissect the recent Alaska Summit between Trump and Putin, exploring the implications for U.S.-Russia relations amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. The conversation highlights the complexities of diplomacy, the role of European leaders in supporting Ukraine, and the challenges of asserting security commitments while navigating international negotiations.

It was a busy weekend in the waters off of Ukraine and Russia. The Ukrainians hit—for the second time—the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Russian mainland with occupied Crimea. The Russians, meanwhile, announced that they are not renewing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the complex agreement by which Ukraine has managed to export grain through the port of Odessa.What do we know about what happened on the Kerch Bridge? How big a deal is it? Is it connected to the Russian withdrawal from the grain initiative? And what does the scotching of the Black Sea Grain Initiative mean for the Ukrainian economy? To chew it all over, Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes sat down with Dmitri Alperovitch of Silverado Policy Accelerator and the Geopolitics Decanted podcast, and Mykhailo Soldatenko, a visiting researcher at the Harvard Law School and an international lawyer who has written for Lawfare about the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.