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As the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold, UkraineAlert delivers the best Atlantic Council expert insight and analysis on Ukraine twice a week directly to your inbox.

editor’s picks

Latest analysis

UkraineAlert

Aug 1, 2024

Ukraine’s new F-16 jets won’t defeat Russia but will enhance air defenses

By Mykola Bielieskov

Ukraine’s fledgling fleet of F-16 jets will not win the war but should strengthen the country’s air defenses and help protect the civilian population from Russian bombardment, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2024

Paris Olympics: Ukrainian dedicates medal to athletes killed by Russia

By Mark Temnycky

Ukrainian fencing star Olga Kharlan has won the country’s first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and dedicated her medal to the Ukrainian athletes “who couldn’t be here because they were killed by Russia,” writes Mark Temnycky .

Conflict France

UkraineAlert

Jul 25, 2024

The West should articulate the possibility of a European future for Belarus now

By Richard Cashman

Failure to articulate the possibility of a European future for Belarus leaves the Euro-Atlantic community at risk of being caught off guard without a plan when Belarus reaches its fork in the road, writes Richard Cashman.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 25, 2024

Putin is convinced he can outlast the West and win in Ukraine

By Mykola Bielieskov

The West’s collective fear of escalation and reluctance to commit to Ukrainian victory have convinced Putin that he can outlast his opponents and achieve an historic triumph in Ukraine, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jul 23, 2024

Putin accused of jailing US journalists as ‘bargaining chips’ for prisoner swap

By Mercedes Sapuppo

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has been accused of using American journalists as bargaining chips after jailing US reporters Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva on dubious charges ahead of a possible prisoner swap, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Conflict Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

Jul 22, 2024

Andriy Yermak: Ukraine and NATO are restoring Europe’s security architecture

By Andriy Yermak

Together with the country’s allies, Ukraine has set out on the path to restore the European security architecture, writes the head of Ukraine’s Office of the President Andriy Yermak.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2024

Hungarian PM Orban poses as unlikely peacemaker for Russia’s Ukraine war

By Dmytro Tuzhanskyi

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban recently embarked on a global “peace mission” to end the war in Ukraine but he may actually be more interested in strengthening his own position, writes Dmytro Tuzhanskyi.

China Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2024

Ukraine’s drone success offers a blueprint for cybersecurity strategy

By Anatoly Motkin

Ukraine’s rapidly expanding domestic drone industry offers a potentially appealing blueprint for the development of the country’s cybersecurity capabilities, writes Anatoly Motkin.

Conflict Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2024

Russia’s retreat from Crimea makes a mockery of the West’s escalation fears

By Peter Dickinson

The Russian Navy’s quiet retreat from Crimea highlights the emptiness of Putin’s red lines and the self-defeating folly of Western escalation management, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2024

I was sentenced to ten years in absentia for highlighting Belarus’s descent into dictatorship

By Alesia Rudnik

My recent ten-year sentence in absentia is a sure sign that Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka is increasingly insecure and dependent on the Kremlin, writes Alesia Rudnik.

Belarus Civil Society

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UkraineAlert

Sep 18, 2025

Putin’s Polish probe demands decisive response to restore NATO deterrence

By Zahar Hryniv

Putin’s recent drone escalation in the skies over Poland is an unmistakable signal that NATO’s credibility is under threat. Western leaders must now respond decisively to deter further Russian aggression, writes Zahar Hryniv.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Sep 17, 2025

Europe needs a new approach to Belarus focused on practical outcomes

By Valery Kavaleuski

Belarus is a strategically crucial European nation that no European leader can afford to ignore. Evidently, the policies adopted in 2020 have not prevented the country's slide into deepening dictatorship. It is therefore time to consider new approaches and initiatives, writes Valery Kavaleuski.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 16, 2025

Ukraine’s skies are Europe’s first line of defense against Russian drones

By Alina Zubkovych

As NATO leaders respond to Russia's recent drone incursion into Poland, they should recognize that Ukraine's skies are now European first line of defense against Putin's growing drone fleet, writes Alina Zubkovych.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Sep 16, 2025

Only Ukraine can teach NATO how to combat Putin’s growing drone fleet

By David Kirichenko

NATO must urgently learn from Ukraine's unique experience of Russian drone warfare as the alliance seeks to address the growing threats posed by Putin's drone swarms, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Sep 11, 2025

China, India, and North Korea back Russia as changing global order takes shape

By Katherine Spencer

Support from China, India, and North Korea for Russia’s war in Ukraine will allow the killing to continue while undermining Trump’s efforts to pressure the Kremlin into ending the invasion, writes Katherine Spencer.

China Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 11, 2025

Fighting corruption strengthens Ukraine in the war against Russia

By Matthew H. Murray

Ukraine's efforts to combat corruption on the domestic front play a vital role in the country's broader fight for national survival against Vladimir Putin's resurgent Russian imperialism, writes Matthew H. Murray.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 11, 2025

Belarus hosts Russian war games as Putin’s drones probe Poland

By Hanna Liubakova

On September 12, Belarus and Russia will begin their largest joint military exercises since the start of Putin's Ukraine invasion, just two days after at least nineteen Russian drones penetrated neighboring Polish airspace, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 9, 2025

What is the Coalition of the Willing actually willing to do in Ukraine?

By Mykola Bielieskov

European troops in Ukraine could serve as a meaningful element within a broader deterrence package, but Coalition of the Willing leaders should focus on making the Ukrainian military strong enough to deter the Kremlin, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Sep 4, 2025

Ukrainian bombing campaign turns Russia’s sheer size into a weakness

By David Kirichenko 

For centuries, Russia’s sheer size has been its greatest asset. Ukraine now intends to transform this vastness into a weakness with a long-range bombing campaign targeting Putin's economically vital but vulnerable energy industry, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Sep 3, 2025

Europe’s best security guarantee against Russia is the Ukrainian army

By Elena Davlikanova, Yevhen Malik

With Europe militarily unprepared and deeply reluctant to confront the Kremlin, a strong Ukraine currently looks to be by far the most realistic deterrent against further Russian aggression, write Elena Davlikanova and Yevhenii Malik.

Conflict Defense Policy