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Monday 09:00 - 18:00 Tuesday 09:00 - 18:00 Wednesday 09:00 - 18:00 Thursday 09:00 - 18:00 Friday 09:00 - 18:00

University of Tartu Ukraine Centre - UTUC, Lossi 36/406, Tartu (2026)

09/06/2026

The Estonian part of our educational STRIDE programme for young professionals from Eastern Partnership countries culminated with the visit to E-Governance Academy with a captivating interactive lecture about the realities of introducing digital governance by Annela Kiirats. The participants are on their way to Stockholm to learn from Swedish experts and design their own mini-projects of responsible digital transformation. We were happy to have here in Estonia--have a fantastic discovery and co-creating journey!

07/06/2026

A summary of the 01-07.06.2026 international relations updates by the security expert Rainer Saks:

01.06.2026

In a CBS News interview, the Ukrainian president said a window for negotiations with Russia remains open until the beginning of winter. According to him, the Russian army began gradually losing the initiative on the front lines from December 2025. The president also expressed support for Europe’s involvement in these potential negotiations.

03.06.2026

The Russian presidential administration’s spokesperson announced that Russia could end the war if Ukraine withdrew its forces from territories Russia considers to belong to Russia. The fact that this message was delivered immediately after a major missile attack shows that Russia is seeking to make maximum use of the attack’s impact in the information space.

04.06.2026

The NATO Secretary General visited Kyiv, where the NATO–Ukraine Council met. As expected, military aid and new deliveries of air defence missiles were discussed.

The Ukrainian president announced his willingness to meet with the Russian president and called for a quick restart of peace negotiations. According to him, only the United States can influence Russia to enter negotiations, but Ukraine also considers the participation of European representatives in the talks necessary.

According to Bloomberg, three countries — Germany, the United Kingdom and France — are drawing up a joint plan for negotiations with Russia. The Ukrainian president also named joint representation by the E3 countries as one possible way to involve Europe in the talks.

05.06.2026

The Ukrainian president published a letter to the Russian president proposing a meeting in a third country and halting hostilities. The purpose of the letter is rather to neutralise Russia’s information manipulations regarding peace talks. The Ukrainian president wants to show that the Russian president was the person who decided to launch aggression against Ukraine, but now does not wish to take personal responsibility for stopping the war.

The Russian president was speaking with journalists in St Petersburg and tried to convince everyone that the Russian army is doing excellently, that Russian air defence is working, and that a real “Oreshnik” strike has not yet been carried out.

06.06.2026

The Russian president announced that he saw no point in meeting personally with the Ukrainian president in order to engage in empty talk. He tried to leave the impression that the Ukrainian president was seeking an opportunity to meet with him through several channels. The Russian leader's phrasing indicated that he still fully believes in the Russian army's victory.

A naval drone exploded in the Romanian port of Constanța. The Ukrainian Navy later acknowledged that it was a Ukrainian drone which, during an operation, lost contact with its operators as a result of Russian electronic interference and later ended up in the area of Romania’s port.

07/06/2026

We are delighted to launch the on-site part of our STRIDE programme - at the Political Science - University of Tartu and University of Tartu Ukraine Centre - UTUC in Estonia!
The Strengthening Trust, Resilience, and Institutions of Digital Democracy in Europe programme, funded by the Swedish Institute, aims to empower early to mid-career professionals in public administration, policymaking, and civil society in Eastern Partnership countries to drive democratic change. The programme focuses on democratic governance, digital transformation, and leadership, offering insights from Sweden and Estonia.
Warm welcome to participants: Abbas Ramazanov, Anastasia Donska, Anastasiia Oleksiuk, Arpine Baghdoyan, Giorgi Inalishvili, Khrystyna Syrota, Mariam kvariani, Martin Aghajanyan, Mihaela Melnic, Murad Aghazada, Nika Bolkvadze, Olena Kuvaieva, Taguhi Hovhannisyan, Tatevik Azizyan, Valeriia Melnyk, Vladislav Branitchi, and Zaruhi Simonyan.
The in-person programme is implemented by Mariana Gustafsson and Niklas Hamström of Linköpings universitet as well as Dmytro Khutkyy, Kerli Klock and Tom Pritchard of the University of Tartu.

05/06/2026

Congratulations Tornike Goglidze with the successful defence of MA thesis! The research "Digital Adaptive Governance: The Response to the Wartime Crises in Ukraine" was conducted under the supervision of Dmytro Khutkyy. The study examined Ukraine's immense crisis resilience and contributed to the scholarship on both digital and adaptive governance. Open access text will be available online soon.

31/05/2026

A summary of the 25-31.05.2026 international relations updates by the security expert Rainer Saks:

25.05.2026

The Russian army used 90 different missiles in yesterday’s air attack on Ukraine, which was one of the largest single attacks on the Ukrainian capital. The Oreshnik missile that fell near Kyiv caused minimal damage, and its use primarily serves to influence the media.

28.05.2026

The commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps, Major General Biletskyi, argued that Ukraine could achieve a breakthrough in the war within the next 6–9 months. In his opinion, during that period, it would be possible to fully exhaust the Russian army and seize the initiative on the fronts.

29.05.2026

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, stated that Europe cannot act as a neutral mediator in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. She also noted that Europe’s greatest challenge is to agree on a common position, without which there is no point in expecting any results from the negotiations.

The Russian president was on a visit to Kazakhstan. The culmination of the visit was the signing of a joint project to build a new nuclear power plant. Russia is trying to preserve its influence in Central Asia, and the new nuclear power plant project is therefore a notable achievement.

The Ukrainian president arrived on a visit to Sweden, where the transfer of Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine was announced. According to the Swedish prime minister, the first used fighter jets will be handed over at the beginning of next year, while the purchase deal will be realised by 2030.

30.05.2026

The Russian drone has fallen on an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galati, causing minimal damage. However, Romanian ministers explained their decision not to shoot down the drone, stating that there was insufficient time to react and that they currently face several legal restrictions on responding to such attacks. Later, the Romanian President announced that, in response to this accident, Russia’s consulate in Constanța would be closed.

At the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Kazakhstan, other member states, led by Russia, demanded that Armenia make a clear choice between the EU and the EEU. They also called for a referendum in Armenia on this issue. At the same time, there were threats to examine ways to expel Armenia from the Eurasian Union if the current government's policy continues.

31.05.2026

The U.S. Secretary of Defence said a few words in recognition of Ukraine’s military innovation and announced that the United States intends to increase production of weapons intended for Ukraine. He also stated that European partners are under continuous pressure to assume greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine.

24/05/2026

A summary of the 18-24.05.2026 international relations updates by the security expert Rainer Saks:

18.05.2026

Information about Ukrainian drone attacks in Moscow was widely shared on Russian social media. Although this was Ukraine’s most extensive air attack on the Moscow region so far, Russian social media and general media coverage made the attack appear even larger.

19.05.2026

According to Al Arabiya, Iran has conveyed a proposal to the United States via Pakistan under which the Iranian government would agree to transfer 400 kg of enriched uranium to Russia for storage and to freeze its nuclear weapons programme. So far, the U.S. has demanded that all uranium be handed over to the US.

20.05.2026

The Russian army has begun “planned” nuclear forces exercises. There is no doubt that they have been timed to create a backdrop for the Russian president’s visit to the PRC. In a broader sense, these exercises are intended to bolster Russia’s strategic deterrence.

21.05.2026

The Russian media outlet Dossier Centre has published a strategy document prepared by insiders in the Russian presidential administration. In summary, the aim of this strategy would be to shape the information environment and narratives to entrench among Russian citizens the perception that Russia defeated the collective West in its war of aggression against Ukraine.

The Russian president’s visit to the People’s Republic of China was planned primarily as a balancing message to the U.S. president’s state visit. The most important outcome of the visit was the joint political declaration, which states that, over recent decades, global development has become more diversified and lists the principles which, in the view of the two countries, should guide international relations.

22.05.2026

Ukraine’s foreign minister was in Sweden at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers and used the opportunity created by Russia to comment on the situation. According to him, the war is approaching a turning point, where the Ukrainian army is able to hold its defence, is increasing pressure on Moscow, and Russia’s greater human resources are losing their impact on the situation at the front.

23.05.2026

The U.S. Secretary of State announced at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting that the United States has suspended its participation in the trilateral negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. He explained the decision simply by saying that the negotiations had produced no results.

17/05/2026

A summary of the 11-17.05.2026 international relations updates by the security expert Rainer Saks:

12.05.2026

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated that Europe could act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia in negotiations aimed at reaching a mutual agreement to end attacks on civilian airports. According to him, such negotiations would give European diplomats a concrete role in the diplomatic process.

The German Defence Minister arrived in Ukraine for a visit. The main aim was to accelerate cooperation between the Ukrainian and German defence industries. Germany has joined a new programme to develop drones with a range of up to 1,500 km.

13.05.2026

The Belarusian leader announced that targeted mobilisations will begin in the country. Instead of the large nationwide training call-ups practised so far, combat training for individual units will be carried out, with reservists mobilised to man them.

14.05.2026

Several Ukrainian spokespersons have repeatedly stated in the media that the parade scheduled for 9 May on Moscow’s Red Square may be cancelled. The reason cited is the fear among the Russian army and officials that Ukraine could carry out a large-scale air attack on it.

15.05.2026

The Russian media outlet Dossier Centre has published a strategy document prepared by insiders in the Russian presidential administration. In summary, the aim of this strategy would be to shape the information environment and narratives in order to entrench among Russian citizens the perception that Russia defeated the collective West in its war of aggression against Ukraine.

16.05.2026

In Chisinau, the final decision to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine was signed. The signatories included 34 countries, and there is now an agreement to launch the special tribunal.

The Russian president signed a decree simplifying the process of acquiring Russian citizenship for residents of the Transnistria region. The move is intended to serve as a political counterweight to the Moldovan government’s more active efforts to reintegrate Transnistria into Moldova.

17.05.2026

The Chinese Foreign Minister stated that both China and the United States want an end to the fighting in Ukraine and are ready to act constructively towards that goal. However, the minister still referred to the war in Ukraine as the “Ukraine crisis”, indicating that China has not fundamentally changed its previous position on this issue.

Ukrainian spokespeople continue to speak about the Belarus issue, citing Russia’s attempts to involve Belarus in the war. It was stated that a belt of fortifications has been built along the Belarusian border zone. So far, there are no signs of either Russian or Belarusian units being concentrated in Belarus.

03/05/2026

A summary of the 27.04-03.05.2026 international relations updates by the security expert Rainer Saks:

27.04.2026

During her visit to Ukraine, the President of Moldova noted that there is an opportunity to advance the Transnistria peace process as long as Ukraine keeps the Russian army out. However, the Moldovan government does not plan to use force to integrate Transnistria and has published an integration plan for incorporating the region.

28.04.2026

The Iranian Foreign Minister visited St Petersburg and met the Russian President. So far, no particularly striking remarks have emerged from the meeting, and Russia has confined itself to fairly standard, restrained statements.

In addition to Germany and the UK, Norway, Poland, and Finland announced that their companies will begin producing attack drones for the Ukrainian army in cooperation with Ukrainian companies and will also supply them to the broader European market.

29.04.2026
Several Ukrainian spokespersons have repeatedly stated in the media that the parade scheduled for 9 May on Moscow’s Red Square may be cancelled. The reason cited is the fear among the Russian army and officials that Ukraine could carry out a large-scale air attack on it.

Under the leadership of Lithuanian security services, a network created by Russian military intelligence was discovered and dismantled. Its purpose was to prepare for terrorist activities. The targets included people with a Russian background who had expressed support for Ukraine, as well as aid being sent to Ukraine.

30.04.2026

The U.S. President told journalists that he had a phone call with the Russian President, during which he proposed a short-term ceasefire in Ukraine. He did not specify the exact content of the proposal; however, he noted that the Russian President also offered assistance in resolving the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium. According to the Russian President’s foreign policy aide, Ushakov, the conversation focused mainly on the situation in the Persian Gulf region.

01.05.2026

According to President Zelensky, he would like to hear more details about Russia’s proposal for a 9 May ceasefire. Russia tried to present the ceasefire proposal in a way that made it appear to have come from the U.S. and to be a form of pressure on Ukraine. In reality, Russia only needs Ukraine not to carry out major drone attacks against Russia on 9 May.

03.05.2026

The Ukrainian President acknowledged specific activity on the Belarus–Ukraine border and promised to respond quickly to any potential attacks from that direction. Ukrainian military sources have reported that several Belarusian helicopters conducted manoeuvres near the Ukrainian border, close to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The Slovak Prime Minister called the Ukrainian President and announced his wish to establish friendly bilateral relations with Ukraine. According to him, the Slovak government supports Ukraine’s accession to the European Union because it wants a stable neighbour.

26/04/2026

A summary of the 20-26.04.2026 international relations updates by the security expert Rainer Saks:

20.04.2026

The U.S. Navy seized an Iranian cargo vessel that was attempting to enter an Iranian port. This was announced personally by President Trump, who also stated that Iran had violated the ceasefire by firing on oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz the day before. In addition, according to him, a general understanding has been reached with Iran on the principles of a peace agreement.

The President of Ukraine reiterated the idea that Russia is preparing for mobilisation. In his assessment, the newly formed forces would either be used to launch a new wave of offensive operations in Ukraine or to attack the Baltic states.

21.04.2026

The Japanese government announced that it will lift restrictions on the sale of lethal weapons to other countries. This move is primarily driven by Russia and China's increasingly aggressive policies, but it also signals a decline in U.S. influence along the western Pacific rim.
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23.04.2026

Both Slovakia and Hungary announced that oil has begun flowing from Russia via the “Druzhba” pipeline. Today, it will also become clear whether Ukraine’s €90 billion support package will be unblocked and whether the 20th sanctions package against Russia can be adopted. The Ukrainian president correctly assessed that implementing these decisions would signal to Russia that it is time to end the war.

24.04.2026

The European Union has opened a €90 billion credit line for Ukraine. Of this, €60 billion will be allocated over the next two years to strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry and armed forces. This is complemented by direct aid packages from several supporting countries.

25.04.2026

The information war between Iran and the United States continues at full speed. The U.S. claims that the president’s special envoys are heading to Pakistan for a new round of talks by Sunday. At the same time, Iran’s minister is visiting Pakistan, Oman, and possibly Russia, while denying that Iran plans to hold talks with the U.S. delegation.

26.04.2026

President Trump cancelled his special envoys’ visit to Pakistan after realising that Iran was refusing to participate in the next round of direct talks. Iran’s main demand is that the U.S. must lift the blockade of Iranian seaports. Iran also refuses to discuss restrictions on its nuclear programme.

In Mali, the Russian-backed military regime has lost control of most of the country's north. Russian mercenaries in Mali have explained the attackers’ success on social media by claiming that the operation is being led by Ukrainian fighters.

The Ukrainian president visited Azerbaijan and announced that he had signed six different agreements in the fields of defence industry and economic cooperation. According to him, Azerbaijan is ready to host the next round of peace talks with the participation of the U.S. and Russian delegations.

19/04/2026

A summary of the 13-19.04.2026 international relations updates by the security expert Rainer Saks:

13.04.2026

Commenting on the recent talks in Pakistan, the U.S. President said the meeting went well and that most of the disputed issues were resolved. The only major unresolved issue was Iran’s nuclear programme. President Trump also announced that the U.S. Navy would soon impose a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of stopping all vessels that pay Iran a fee for passage.

14.04.2026

China’s Vice Minister of Defence stated that China has energy agreements with Iran and that ships transporting Iranian oil to China will continue to navigate to Iranian ports. It was also quite noteworthy that China declared that Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz. It is possible that the US had hoped China would not engage with the blockade, given its ability to import oil from ports in Arab countries.

16.04.2026

The U.S. President stated that no exceptions would be made for Chinese tankers during the blockade of Iran. Media speculation continues over when Iran might be forced to reduce oil production. An intense information war is ongoing over the effectiveness of the blockade, but so far there is no clear evidence that oil shipments from Iranian ports have continued.

According to the NATO Secretary General, Ukraine will receive military supplies worth $60 billion from NATO member states this year. The UK Defence Secretary announced that 120,000 different drones will be delivered to the Ukrainian army over the course of the year, including to strengthen Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities.

17.04.2026

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. The stated reason was the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. However, the real reasons appear to be the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and some pressure on Iran from China.

18.04.2026

The President of Belarus has repeatedly spoken in recent months about the risk of war and the need for further mobilisation. In response, the President of Ukraine conducted a media operation regarding the possibility of Belarus entering the war, stating that any attack would be met with a response and hinting at a “Venezuela scenario”.

From the Ukrainian side, this is an attempt to pressure Belarus into a more restrained stance in its military support for Russia. Similarly, Ukraine is maintaining the narrative of a potential threat from the Transnistria direction. This could create the impression in Russia that Ukraine is preparing an operation to seize that region.

19.04.2026

The Iranian army announced once again that only vessels that have coordinated their passage with Iran may pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Later, Iran announced a full closure of maritime traffic in the strait, justifying it by the continuation of the U.S. naval blockade.

University of Tartu Ukraine Centre - UTUC

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