Laternenmast mit blau-weißem Plakat, auf dem eine Friedenstaube abgebildet ist und der Aufschrift "Ostermarsch. Die Waffen nieder! Friedensfähig statt kriegstüchtig". Im Hintergrund sind unscharf Menschen zu sehen.
Plakat für den Ostermarsch 2024 in Frankfurt am Main. | conceptphoto.info | CC BY 2.0

Verrennen sich die Ostermärsche?

Auch dieses Jahr finden in vielen Orten Deutschlands Ostermärsche statt. Die Aufrufe thematisieren vor allem den Krieg gegen die Ukraine, das Blutvergießen in Gaza nach dem Angriff der Hamas auf Israel, das massive Aufrüsten der Bundesrepublik und anderer NATO-Staaten sowie die Stationierung von Mittelstreckenwaffen. Es zeigen sich erhebliche Unterschiede zwischen den Aufrufen, doch wie auffällt, tun sich viele schwer mit Kritik an Russland, während sie Israel massive Vorwürfe machen.

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Photo of a group of men sitting at a table in a magnificent hall. Behind them you can see the flags of the USA, Saudi Arabia and Russia
February 18, 2025: US Secretary of State Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov meet in Saudi Arabia. | Photo: Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett, Public Domain

A Sober Perspective for the Negotiating Table: Europe Must Contribute Diplomatically to Ending the War in Ukraine and Shape the Withdrawal of the US

Despite the deadlocked military situation for Ukraine and the policy shift in the US, Germany and Europe still lack a negotiating strategy for a diplomatic solution. But only military support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia are not going to end the war on the most favorable terms for Kyiv. As difficult as it may be, positive offers equally needed. Europe’s confrontation with President Trump’s diplomatic efforts will also not help to achieve more European sovereignty. Rather, we will have to negotiate with him and President Putin about the future of Ukraine and our own security architecture. Instead of panicking and investing solely in the military, European governments should therefore pull themselves together and, above all, seize the diplomatic opportunity to secure their fate.

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Photo einer Gruppe von Männern, die in einem prunkvollen Saal an einem Tisch sitzt. Dahinter sieht man die Flaggen von USA, Saudi-Arabien und Russland
18. Februar 2025: Der US-Außenminister Rubio und der russische Außenminister Lavrov treffen sich in Saudi-Arabien. | Foto: Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett, Public Domain

Mit nüchternem Blick zum Verhandlungstisch: Europa muss die Beendigung des Ukrainekrieges und den Rückzug der USA diplomatisch mitgestalten

Trotz der längst verfahrenen militärischen Lage für die Ukraine und bekannten Kurswechsels in den USA hielten Deutschland und Europa an der unrealistischen Strategie fest, nur mit militärischer Unterstützung und Sanktionen eine Verhaltensänderung Moskaus zu erreichen. Damit allein lässt sich der Krieg nicht zu möglichst günstigen Bedingungen für Kyjiw beenden. Die europäische Passivität gegenüber dem diplomatischen Ansatz von Präsident Trump wird auch nicht helfen, mehr europäische Souveränität zu erlangen. Vielmehr wird die Zukunft der Ukraine und unsere eigene Sicherheitsarchitektur mit ihm und auch mit Präsident Putin ausgehandelt werden müssen. Statt panisch nur ins Militär zu investieren, sollten sich die europäischen Regierungen ausnüchtern und diplomatisch rüsten, ihr Schicksal in die Hand zu nehmen.

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A Serverroom: A long row of servers on the left and right in an industrial hall
The order to halt all cyber operations against Russia marks a stark departure from the previous administration’s cybersecurity strategy. | Photo: Ismail Enes Ayhan via Plattform Unsplash | Unsplash Lizenz

US Halts Defensive Cyber Activities Against Russia: A Digital ‘Withdrawal’ from Europe

In a major shift in U.S. cybersecurity policy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to halt all planning against Russia, including offensive cyber operations. This policy change, made behind closed doors, represents a significant reversal of the approach taken under the Biden administration, which had identified Russia and China as the most significant intelligence threats to the United States. The decision aligns with the broader foreign policy direction of the Trump administration, which aims to “de-escalate” tensions with Russia, though it seems to be more of an appeasement. And this policy shift obviously comes at the expense of national and allied security, as has become frighteningly clear in recent days with the example of the – one can hardly call it anything else – ‘blackmail’ of Ukraine, which was temporarily denied military and intelligence support by the US.

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A colourful mural with five pictures of famous women like Angela Davis, Virginia Woolf or Rigoberta Menchi and quotes. Above, the headline reads Feministes I Rebels.
“The displacement triggered by the 2022 conflict underscored that women’s strength lies in networking”, says Olena Zinenko.| Photo: designfactory via Unsplash | Unsplash Lizenz

On International Women’s Day: Feminist Peace Perspectives for Ukraine

February 24 marked the third anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Various options for peace are being debated internationally, often without focusing on Ukrainian perspectives and interests. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, PRIF researcher Clara Perras conducted a written Interview with Olena Zinenko, a Ukrainian feminist peace activist and researcher from Kharkiv who currently lives and works in Bochum. She is lecturer at Karazin Kharkiv National University (online), guest researcher in IFHV Ruhr University Bochum and project coordinator at KRF “Public Alternative”.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking at MSC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking on “Defiance and Diplomacy: Prospects for Ukraine's Future” at the Munich Security Conference 2025. | Photo: MSC/Kuhlmann

From Munich to Munich? Three Years of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine

Three years ago, in Ukraine, I was awoken at 4:45 am by a frightening noise unlike anything I had ever heard. I stared into the darkness behind the window and told myself: it’s not true, it’s not a war, it’s just military exercises. Yet the nightmare of Russia’s full-scale military invasion was real and continues to this day. Since then, Ukrainians have been standing, fighting, and defending themselves, resisting not only Russia but also prophesies of disaster and efforts to undermine support for Kyiv. Despite this, the Ukrainian army still stands and it holds the key to the future.

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Zelensky and Macron look at Trump, who turns slightly, Macron grabs Trump's arm.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace, December 2024. | Photo: EPA-EFE/MOHAMMED BADRA

How a Sustainable Ceasefire Between Russia and Ukraine Could be Reached

The Trump administration’s recent actions have left many uncertain about the prospects and trajectory of the Russo-Ukrainian war. False certainties and anxious interpretations abound. However, some clear tendencies have emerged from Trump’s first few months in office as well as from his last term. Europe’s leaders, while trapped between Trump’s geopolitical flailing, Putin’s ongoing war efforts, and a continent-wide surge in nationalist sentiments, have options at their disposal that could significantly shape upcoming decisions. A lot is at stake, and the time to act is now.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy sitting at a conference desk and speaking into a microphone. In front of him on the desk is a nameplate with "UKRAINE" written on it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at the UN Security Council Ukraine Open Debate at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. | Photo: Kirsty O'Connor/Cabinet Office via Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 2.0

Is Lawfare Fair? Russia’s Illegal War and the International System

The search for recognised political legitimacy and legality is integral to states which take part in the international system. As Moscow’s acts of aggression continue in Ukraine, the international community has not been able to end the war, nor appropriately address its illegality. With Russia’s actions strictly going against international law, the use of legal means to lock-in the status quo has been a key part of the Russian war strategy. This blog conceptualises lawfare and contextualises its uses by Russia at the UN level.

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Im Bildvordergrund ist ein Denkmal: Das Denkmal besteht aus den Skulpturen eines Jungen und eines Mädchens in Form von Engeln mit verbrannten Flügeln, die über einen Granitblock fliegen, der eine Explosion darstellt. Im Hintergrund sind Bäume und ein Gebäude zu sehen.
Das Monument der verstorbenen Kinder wurde am 4. Juni 2023 eingeweiht – dem Internationalen Tag der unschuldigen Kinder, die Opfer von Aggression geworden sind. | Foto: President of Ukraine via flickr | CC0 1.0

Die Wahlprogramme zu Russlands Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine

Kein Krieg prägt derzeit die europäische Politik so sehr wie die russische Aggression gegen die Ukraine. Viele Parteien halten es für wichtig, in ihren Programmen zur Bundestagswahl festzuhalten, wie sie zu diesem Konflikt und dessen Protagonisten stehen. Dieser Beitrag verschafft einen einordnenden Überblick über die Positionen derjenigen Parteien, denen Umfragen realistische Chancen geben, mindestens mit Gruppenstärke in den Bundestag einzuziehen.

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