A new peace or negotiation proposal allegedly drawn up between the United States and Russia has recently been featured in international media. The proposal, which is supposed to present a framework for a possible end to the war in Ukraine, has sparked strong reactions – both because the premises could put Ukraine in a weak position, and because it shows that the country itself has had no real influence in the process.

The war in Ukraine is not just about tanks, missiles and territory. It is about identity, belonging and the future of Europe. Ukraine is fighting not just for its own freedom, but for the principle that borders cannot be redrawn by force, and that a state cannot be wiped out because a larger neighbour believes it has no right to exist.

But Ukraine faces several parallel challenges – some visible, some less visible, but at least as dangerous.

Photo: https://www.transparency.org/

Corruption exists in all societies, but its extent varies dramatically. Countries with authoritarian regimes often exhibit higher levels of corruption than democracies, while democracies — even with their challenges — have greater levels of checks and balances and transparency. This raises a key question: Is democracy the best tool in the fight against corruption?

The Russian military’s actions amount to two crimes against humanity, the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine’s report states – firstly of “murder and of forcible transfer of population” and secondly, “deportations and transfers of civilians” from areas occupied by Russian forces, some of whom were tortured.