Dear reader, Earlier this year when Russian president Vladamir Putin invaded Ukraine, he backed up his actions with an impassioned speech insisting that Ukraine was part of Russia. Putin’s words and the act of invading Ukraine, although incomprehensible in context of the modern world, is rooted in centuries of imperial politics that was at the heart of the way Russia was governed. Mira Patel in her story this week unraveled Russian history and its current politics through its imperial politics. As she notes, “Russia’s expansionism and imperialism takes root in its own conflicting identity of being both European and Asian without ever being fully embraced by either one.” Russia’s geographical limitations as well as the threat of the West have been crucial in shaping the country’s political history. As the international community watches the invasion of Ukraine with horror, there is an emerging concern of China invading Taiwan as a consequence. In this story Mira Patel looks closely at the China-Taiwan relationship, why it appears to be affected in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, and what the ramifications of a possible invasion of Taiwan could be. Read the stories: At heart of Russian imperialism, its geographical handicap and Eurasian ambitions Could China invade Taiwan and what would that lead to? Sincerely, Adrija Roychowdhury | 
