In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine with a large military force. He hoped to decapitate the Ukrainian leadership and impose his rule on Kyiv.

The root causes of Russia’s invasion are complex and intertwined, but one of the most important factors was a successful democratic development in Ukraine that made it difficult for Putin to rule his country as an autocrat.

By the end of 2014, protests against Yanukovych swept across most of Ukraine, with some citizens targeting symbols of Russian domination, such as statues of Lenin and General Aleksandr Suvorov. These protests were fueled in part by the failure of Moscow to persuade Yanukovych to sign a new political deal with the European Union, a goal that was crucial for Ukraine’s future.

But the protests also accelerated the process of Ukraine’s decoupling from Moscow, which fed Putin’s concern that he might run out of time to restore his influence over his neighbor. And this worry fed a series of increasingly risky gambles to draw Ukraine back into Russia’s orbit.

Nevertheless, Russia appears incapable of taking Kyiv or occupying a major portion of Ukraine. But if the conflict is to be resolved, it will take more than the Russian military and more Western support to bring peace to Ukraine. That requires a concerted effort to get weapons and supplies to Ukrainian forces, an international coalition of nations working through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The United States has played a key role in coordinating this effort, and it will be crucial to get critical equipment and training to Ukraine’s fighters.

World news or international or even foreign coverage is the jargon for news that comes from outside of one’s own country, often from other parts of the globe. For journalism, it is a branch of reporting that includes sending correspondents abroad and reporting from remote locations by means of satellite, phone and the Internet.

A few sub-branches of world news:

The main responsibilities of a foreign correspondent are to report on events and developments in the nation or countries they cover, including but not limited to governmental policies, military actions and other facets of everyday life that may affect the rest of the world, and to report on international affairs. They may work for an international news agency, a newspaper or other media organization or simply for themselves as freelancers.

A good foreign correspondent will scour the globe and be familiar with foreign languages, while at the same time maintaining an extensive network of local contacts. They will also know how to find the most important stories of the day and provide their colleagues with key information.

In the realm of world news, the best known field is war journalism. Other notable sub-branches include sports, travel and arts.

Among the more interesting aspects of world news is its multi-disciplinary nature. It requires the skills of multiple reporters with a variety of backgrounds and experiences to produce credible, insightful and well-rounded reports on any given subject.

The field is not without its pitfalls and mishaps, as well. While it is not impossible to be a successful foreign correspondent, the rewards can be severely compromised by poor preparation or a lack of relevant training. A good foreign correspondent will be able to spot a story and report it with authority, and have the patience to learn from their mistakes.