Already in its second year, the war between Ukraine and Russia continues to govern the lives of many in the region, with the EU and United States watching the continued unfolding carefully. Yet, there are still some recent updates to be aware of regarding the situation. 

Vogue and the War in Ukraine: 

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has primarily worn things like sweatshirts, cargo pants, military boots, and other similar attire, attempting to present an image of readiness for action. This insistence to portray normality, while acknowledging Russia’s invasion is a key in su

ch areas, and that has been the goal of Vogue Ukraine since the start of the war. Initially, the magazine’s website posted guidelines for the case of an attack, attempting to answer public questions while remotely showing support for the war effort. In Ukraine, Vogue integrated social media posts of the destruction wrought in Mariupol, Kharkiv, and other cities alongside those of fashion. On the parallel front however, Vogue Russia as forced to cut ties with several Western companies, including U.S. Condé Nast. 

For the first issue after the invasion began, Ukraine’s Vogue published a unique issue that spring which was subsequently called “Edition 1,” by many, as noted by The Guardian. Rather than having a model on the cover, the cover was an abstract blue fading into a fiery gold, representing both flames under the night sky and the Ukrainian flag with the title translating to say “The path of the unbreakables.” With the initial impact of the invasion on Ukraines economy, many Ukrainian branches of designer shops, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Chanel, were temporarily closed, allowing Vogue Ukraine to fill pages with essays and images of “heroes.” This included anyone to the nat

ional synchronized swimming team, to Kyrylo Budanov, the nation’s military intelligence head. According to Vogue Ukraine editor-in-chief, Venya Brykalin, and told by The Guardian, “Vogue Ukraine has never been a magazine about just clothes and trends,” rather, it is about the culture and sharing the voices of people in the nation. 

With a positive response to this first issue, Vogue Ukraine has continued its quarterly publishing with a similar theme. Summer 2023 was “Ukrainian youth” and the recent autumn 2023 is titled “The will to win.” While often forgotten about in the midst of a larger invasion, the magazines, and the everyday facets of society continue to function and influence life. 

U.S. Defense Secretary Makes Visit to Kyiv

On Monday, November 20, 2023, Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, visited Kyiv in order to show U.S. support for Ukraine even with events unfolding in Israel. Talking to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, Austin said “The message that I bring you today, Mr. President, is the United States of America is with you. We will remain with you for the long-haul. What happened here in Ukraine – that not only matters to Ukraine, but it matters to the rest of the world. It certainly matters to the United States of America,” according to an article published by CNN. 

This visit also came with the announcement by the Defense department of a $100 million package for Ukrainian security. Despite being one of the smallest granted to the country over the course of the war, it does include a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), 155mm rounds, anti-aircraft missiles, and TOW missiles, as well as additional supplies. This would require bipartisan support from congress, but this is also expected after some work and compromises. Yet, some defense officials argue that Austin’s visit is not the signal the U.S. wants to be sending, especially in light of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Middle East. Others however, believe it was an important gesture going into a harsh winter, as based on data from last year, Russia is likely to target specific infrastructure via long-range fire, so having Ukraine equipped and supported is essential both strategically and for morale. 

In addition to meeting with Zelensky, Austin met with a group of about 25 Americans at the Defense Department Embassy in Kyiv, especially leading up to a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. 

Sweden Hopes to Join NATO in Face of Russia

Submitting an application to join NATO, along with Finland, in May of 2022, both nations removed statements of neutrality after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. While Finland was officially accepted into the international organization in April of 2023, Sweden has yet to be approved. While Pål Jonson, Sweden’s Defense Minister, said he was unsure of when Sweden would be approved by NATO to The Guardian, he is confident that the nation will eventually. Still waiting on Hungary and Turkey, Jonson’s main rush to become a full member of NATO is to face the threat from Russia, stating, “We do not want to write off Russia as a threat because Russia has … shown evidence of endurance [in Ukraine],” in a statement to The Guardian. 

Other NATO allies have shown support for Sweden’s involvement given its “important military resources” and “better strategic depth.” Hungary and Turkey’s opinions are less clear, as although Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed to accept Sweden in July after talks with the Swedish prime minister, the foreign affairs committee there is postponing the decision. Similarly, in Hungary, although prime minister Viktor Orbán stated that such approval was just technical, Sweden’s acceptance is still awaited from the European nation. 

Even without official NATO membership, Jonson claims that the country is safer from Russia even through seeking out membership, especially given promises from the giants of the U.S., UK, Germany, and France, along with other member countries. With Finland being a member, it is significantly more likely that Sweden will follow, since they have historically been defense partners. Finland has been under recent pressure from Russia, with authorities accusing Putin of increasing the number of refugees entering the country from Ukraine, a conflict that Sweden hopes to collaborate with Finland on. 

Much of this discussion regarding NATO membership came before a two-day defense meeting in Stockholm between Nordic and Baltic states for part of the Nordic Defense Cooperation (Nordefco). There, Jonson and other ministers planned to discuss general security policy along with infrastructure and support for Ukraine, a neighboring country for many.