Essays & Commentary

Anastasia writes regularly for broadsheets about India and Ukraine, and their relations.

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Trump's Game in AlaskaTimes of India | 18 August 2025

Ukraine has done all it can. NATO blew it. Trump–Putin diplomacy is Biden’s "conflict management" policy come home to roost.

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India's Interests in Ukraine's Rare Earths and the Port of OdessaTimes of India | 2 May 2025

Trump's business-diplomacy is not only a new frame for Ukraine's security, but also a goldmine for the India-Middle-East Trade Corridor.

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Cancelling OdessaThe Economist | 30 January 2025 

A response to Arkady Ostrovsky's piece on "Cancel culture in Ukraine," noting Odessa's rejection of so-called decolonisation that is erasing the city's heritage and sense of self.

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Odessa's Fight for Its HeritageKyiv Post | 17 November 2024With Ugo Poletti

Kyiv's top-down drive to erase Odessa's heritage is not just a symbolic mistake, it is a strategic error.

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Modi's Visit to KyivThe Indian Express | 2 August 2024

The first-ever visit by an Indian PM to independent Ukraine is rife with opportunities, on both sides. To move forward, India and Ukraine will need to let go of past hurts.

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Why BJP Faltered in RajasthanTimes of India | 9 June 2024With Bharat Hun

Summary forthcoming


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How India's Peasants Punished ModiTimes of India | 5 June 2024

Summary forthcoming



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The C Word of India's 2024 Elections Times of India | 24 May 2024With Vikramadithya Thakur

Summary forthcoming


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Madhya Pradesh Goes Silent Times of India | 28 April 2024With Tommaso Sbriccoli

Summary forthcoming


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Modi's Family Card in Rajasthan Times of India | 9 April 2024

Summary forthcoming



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A Principled ElectionTimes of India | 9 April 2024

This election, unlike many others, will not be a battle of political parties, but principles.

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Stop Putin -- Prevent WWIIITimes of India | 23 February 2024

Summary forthcoming



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Why Rajasthan's Women Love BJPTimes of India | 18 December 2023

Summary forthcoming



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Why the World Needs Kyiv to WinTimes of India | 24 February 2023

For a sustained peace, in Ukraine and the world over, Russia needs to be stopped. The alternative will unleash global chaos. We have no alternative but the military.

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Russia's Empire vs. Ukraine's NationThe Indian Express | 25 Dec 2022

Russia's war in Ukraine is imperial carnage. What happens in Ukraine will determine whether the order of sovereign nations collapses into a new era of conquests. 

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More Arms for UkraineDaily Mail | 25 October 2022With Vitaly Oplachko

To hold its ground, Ukraine needs a lot more arms and it needs them now.

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Air Defences for UkraineFinancial Times | 19 October 2022With Vitaly Oplachko

If Ukraine is to survive, its skies must be defended. Otherwise, it will quickly turn into a frozen wasteland, over which Putin's troops will march on.

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Dear Indian FriendsThe Indian Express | 4 October 2022

Confronting India's silence about Russia's war against Ukraine, I bust nine Kremlin myths and ask Indian readers to take Ukraine's defence seriously.

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