The Russo-Ukrainian war has been marked by mutual short-range missile and drone attacks, but Ukraine has struggled to gain a significant advantage in aerial warfare. In November of 2024, former President Biden approved the discretionary use of long-range missiles by Ukraine in the ongoing war against Russia. Since then, how have long-range missiles altered the nature of the war?

On November 5, 2024, Donald Trump was reelected the next president of the United States. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated “his friend” for winning reelection on X (Formerly Twitter). However, regardless of the cordial personal rapport between the two leaders, a Trump presidency has the potential to create issues for India, including human rights, China, Russia, and Iran, many of which stem from Trump’s erratic personality.

Putinism’s flexible, anti-Western system sustains Russian authoritarianism through contradictory narratives—religious conservatism and Eurasianism—while NATO’s failure to counter these narratives has emboldened Russian aggression. NATO must reject appeasement, delegitimize Putinism, and prioritize Ukraine’s defense to preserve Western security.