Foreign and security policyEcuador in a stranglehold Gang wars, drug trafficking and military repression: how did Ecuador mutate from a peaceful country to a danger zone? By Sara Meyer
European integrationBuilding an inclusive Europe With the EU elections looming, it’s time for policy-makers to dismantle the barriers faced by millions of persons with disabilities By Ioannis Vardakastanis, Haydn Hammersley
Foreign and security policyThe great diplomatic game When confrontation with the US looks inevitable and relations with Russia are robust, China’s focus turns to Europe By Nickolay Kapitonenko
Foreign and security policyBetween existence and expediency The Ukrainian army needs new soldiers. However, the government’s radical mobilisation measures threaten to divide society By Anastasia Magazova
Economy and ecologyThe price of progress? Mining essential resources for the green transition may be key to our pursuit of a sustainable future — but not at the expense of local communities By Lisa Pelling
Foreign and security policyRussia’s red thread Soviet nostalgia, revisionism and anti-Western propaganda: Putin is unwavering in his commitment to the old pillars of Russian politics By Cord Jakobeit, Dmytro Mykhailychenko
European integrationRedefining peace By claiming that the EU is turning into a ‘war project’ amid Russian aggression, many pro-Europeans are idealising its history as a ‘peace project’ By Hans Kundnani
Democracy and societyOur freedoms depend on press freedom With half the world’s population casting ballots in elections this year, defending a free and independent press has perhaps never been more important By Jodie Ginsberg