World Briefing Plus: When Wars Travel
From soaring fuel prices to drones over St. Petersburg, pivotal elections in Armenia & World Cup sticker shock in Canada, World Briefing+ follows ripple effects of conflict far beyond the battlefield
This week on World Briefing Plus, I’m reporting from Canada’s Pacific coast and connecting dots that stretch from the streets of Calgary to the battlefields of Ukraine and the ballot boxes of Armenia.
We begin with a few words about Taxi Talks, my ongoing effort to understand global events through conversations with ride-share and taxi drivers around the world. A recent discussions with an Uber and Grab drivers from Manila to Muscat to Calgary offered a stark reminder of how distant conflicts can hit ordinary people hardest. Rising fuel costs and broader inflationary pressures linked to the war with Iran are making life increasingly difficult for gig workers already operating on razor-thin margins.
From there, we turn to Ukraine and Russia, where Ukrainian strikes have once again disrupted St. Petersburg during Russia’s flagship economic forum, delivering a fresh embarrassment to Vladimir Putin. The attacks come just after Putin rejected Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest appeal for direct talks and a ceasefire. I explain why these developments may increase, rather than decrease, the danger of escalation, and why I remain concerned that a cornered Kremlin could respond with overwhelming force.
I also examine Sunday’s crucial elections in Armenia, a country I recently visited. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is seeking another mandate while facing intense pressure from Moscow, which is determined not to lose another former Soviet republic drifting toward Europe. The vote is shaping up as a referendum not only on Armenia’s geopolitical direction but also on whether voters believe Pashinyan has conceded too much to Azerbaijan and Turkey. As I saw firsthand, Armenia remains a thriving democracy in a very difficult neighbourhood.
Finally, I look ahead to the week to come as the World Cup kicks off across North America. I’ll be reporting from Vancouver, where soaring costs, budget overruns, and sky-high ticket prices have left many residents feeling excluded from an event they are helping fund. The promise of lasting economic benefits is being heavily promoted by politicians, but many taxpayers appear unconvinced.
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