Western military aid isn’t the only reason Ukraine has fought off Russia

+ Supreme Court legitimacy; political dynasties in the Philippines US Edition - Today's top story: Why Ukraine's undersized military is resisting supposedly superior Russian forces [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 May 2022 [The Conversation]( Usually, the obstacle to getting good, informative stories published stems from the text. Language that’s obtuse, too refined, full of jargon. Articles that start in the middle of a story rather than the beginning and aren’t speaking to the general reader. Too much opinion, not enough facts. Editors everywhere grapple with these problems, as we do on the politics desk. This past week, though, the obstacle for me was something else entirely. Plants are growing so fast in the garden you can practically hear them shooting toward the sun. And just about every hour, I had to fight the urge to close my computer and go do a garden census – mmm, the Salvia horminum grew half an inch since yesterday, and the new pink scabiosa shrank about two inches. Oh, well, deer. Nevertheless, I persisted. My colleagues and I got the week’s stories out, covering territory ranging from abortion to Ukraine, the Philippine elections, white privilege, trust and free speech. Among my favorites was a story by Liam Collins, the founding director of the Modern War Institute at West Point. From 2016 to 2018, Collins served as the executive officer to the U.S. senior defense adviser to Ukraine. Collins was thus able to witness some of the many reforms the Ukraine military undertook to be able to fight off a much-feared Russian invasion, and in our story [details how those reforms played out](. “By the time Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Ukraine had built a well-led, professional force,” writes Collins. “As a result, Russia’s latest invasion pitted a large but poorly trained force against a much smaller but well-trained, well-led and motivated force.” Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society A Ukrainian soldier is seen at a Ukrainian front line in Donbass, Ukraine, on April 11, 2022. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images [Why Ukraine’s undersized military is resisting supposedly superior Russian forces]( Liam Collins, United States Military Academy West Point On paper, Russia’s military outmatches its Ukrainian rival. But better training, strategy and battlefield decisions have helped Ukrainian forces keep Russian troops at bay. An unscalable fence around the U.S. Supreme Court, on May 7, 2022, set up in response to protests against the possible overruling of Roe v. Wade. Jose Luis Magana / AFP/Getty Images [5 justices, all confirmed by senators representing a minority of voters, appear willing to overturn Roe v. Wade]( Kevin J. McMahon, Trinity College If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, will it be out of step with America? At New York City’s Rockefeller Center, activists hold a series of signs that read ‘Legalize Abortion’ in March, 1968. Bev Grant/Getty Images [Abortion has been common in the US since the 18th century – and debate over it started soon after]( Treva B. Lindsey, The Ohio State University With the Supreme Court likely to strike down constitutional protection for abortion, a centuries-old debate over its morality and legality has been reignited. - [A member of the Marcos family is returning to power – here’s what it means for democracy in the Philippines]( Adrian De Leon, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Bongbong Marcos is the projected winner of the Philippines election. That the son of a brutal dictator has won shows how wedded the country is to dynastic politics – and image manipulation. - [Ukraine’s information war is winning hearts and minds in the West]( Michael Butler, Clark University The reasons for the prominence of the Ukraine war in the West are many – and include the Ukrainian government’s strategic efforts to tailor presentations of the conflict for Western sensibilities. - [6 months after the climate summit, where to find progress on climate change in a more dangerous and divided world]( Rachel Kyte, Tufts University War, famine and an energy crunch are affecting the world’s response to climate change, but there are reasons for optimism. - [Forgotten insurrection clause of 14th Amendment used to force GOP members of Congress to defend their actions on Jan. 6]( Ronald Sullivan, Harvard University The 14th Amendment banned Confederates from public office. But the rebels later received an amnesty that now might save GOP members from prosecution for their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection. - [Use of ‘white privilege’ makes online discussions more polarized and less constructive]( Christopher Quarles, University of Michigan In this era of racial reckoning, words such as ‘white privilege’ have played a significant role in defining social problems plaguing America. But those words also have a downside. - [Russia may declare war on Ukraine on May 9 – and use it as a reason to double down on attacks]( Michael A. Allen, Boise State University Western officials say that Russia may officially declare war on Ukraine on May 9. An international relations expert explains why this day is significant, and why a war declaration would matter. - [How treaties protecting fossil fuel investors could jeopardize global efforts to save the climate – and cost countries billions]( Rachel Thrasher, Boston University; Blake Alexander Simmons, Colorado State University; Kyla Tienhaara, Queen's University, Ontario A new study adds up the potential legal and financial risk countries could face from hundreds of agreements, like those under the Energy Charter Treaty. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](