Economist Podcasts Home truths: Ukraine’s internal strains
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Sep 25, 2025 
Chris Lockwood, Europe editor at The Economist, sheds light on Ukraine's ongoing military stalemate and the dire impact of manpower shortages, highlighting the nation's increasing reliance on drones. He also discusses Ukraine’s strained economy and democratic challenges under martial law. Meanwhile, Shailesh Chitnes, global business writer, analyzes the potential consequences of proposed H-1B visa fee hikes, emphasizing the risk to U.S. tech firms and Indian IT companies, and how they might adapt their hiring strategies in response.
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Political Strains And Eroding Openness
- Democracy in Ukraine shows worrying signs of fraying with pressure on media and institutions.
- Reports describe raids, frozen accounts and travel bans used against political opponents.
Prepare For Diaspora Voting
- If elections are to happen, Europe should help organise and facilitate voting for the large diaspora.
- Consider temporarily lifting martial law or constitutional adjustments to enable voting under war conditions.
Why A Ceasefire Is Unlikely
- A ceasefire depends mostly on Vladimir Putin, not Ukraine, and is unlikely soon despite Russian economic strain.
- War sustains Putin's repressive apparatus, giving him little incentive to stop the conflict.