Lara Jakes

I am a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, based in Rome. I currently focus on the war in Ukraine and the political alliances behind efforts by the United States and others to supply weapons to Ukraine.

What I Cover

Ukraine’s defense in its war with Russia hinges on whether its military is sufficiently armed to repel the invasion. That has unleashed a flurry of deal making among allied governments and the defense industry to keep the West’s war machine against Russia running. I report on the debates, discussions and wrangling between nations to combat what many in the West see as a growing threat from the Kremlin.

My Background

I have been a reporter and editor for nearly 30 years, including as a war correspondent in Iraq and a reporter in Washington covering diplomacy and military policy. I started out as a political reporter, but I switched focus after 9/11 to cover national security and foreign policy. I’ve reported from more than 70 countries since graduating from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and aspire to someday find the time to complete my master’s degree in international relations at Syracuse University. I joined The Times in 2017 after working at Foreign Policy magazine, The Associated Press and the Albany Times-Union.

I grew up in suburban Virginia.

Journalistic Ethics

I believe in the Journalist’s Creed, from Walter Williams, who wrote that “the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust. I believe that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism.” And, to paraphrase, I believe that a journalist should write only what she holds in her heart to be true. More specifically, I adhere to the standards of integrity outlined in The Times’s Ethical Journalism handbook.

• Email: [email protected]

• X: @jakesNYT

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