Our series of guest essays on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. In recent weeks the contours of the war’s political and economic consequences have begun to emerge. European leaders, business figures, academics and even a former oil mogul penned articles in response. In this special newsletter we present seven of these recent essays (you can find the whole collection over at our By Invitation hub).

When it comes to the politics of the war, essays from individuals with a deep understanding of its protagonists carry particular clout. Take the article written by the ex-mogul—and exile—Mikhail Khodorkovsky. His rise and fall with Yukos, once one of Russia’s largest oil firms, landed him in a Russian prison for a decade. But he says the experience taught him how to deal with “bandits” like Vladimir Putin: “I can say that the most dangerous thing is to show them any weakness or uncertainty.” Vjosa Osmani, Kosovo’s president, would probably agree. She warns that Serbia will learn from Russia’s aggression. And Wolfgang Ischinger, a top German diplomat, uses his essay to explain Germany’s new era of foreign policy.

The effects of the war on financial and energy markets have required incisive analysis. Daniel Yergin, an analyst and author, argues that the war will diminish Russia’s former status as an energy superpower. Nicholas Mulder, an academic, says the war has created a watershed moment in economic history in his assessment of the sanctions imposed on Russia. Amid the chaos, climate-change goals must not be forgotten, according to two more academics, Jason Bordoff and Meghan O’Sullivan.

Perhaps the most courageous guest essay comes from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus’s opposition leader. She believes that Mr Putin is a bully—just like the autocrat in charge of her country. “I am convinced that dictators can’t survive a united democratic response and unrest at home,” she says. “They’ve chosen the wrong side of history. We must ensure Belarus and Ukraine fall on the right side of it.”