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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

Jan 30, 2026

Drone superpower Ukraine can teach Europe how to defend itself

By Lesia Orobets

Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion four years ago, Ukraine has emerged as a drone superpower and is now recognized as indispensable for the future defense of Europe, writes Lesia Orobets.

Conflict
Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jan 29, 2026

Ukraine changes tone on Belarus and engages exiled opposition

By Hanna Liubakova

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held his first official meeting with exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya last weekend in the latest indication of a significant Ukrainian policy shift toward the country’s northern neighbor, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 29, 2026

Ukraine’s defense tech sector can play a key role in economic security

By Eric K. Hontz

Ukraine’s defense tech and dual-use sector is a rare wartime success story, with over six hundred innovative and combat‑tested firms becoming increasingly attractive to international investors, writes Eric K. Hontz.

Conflict
Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jan 27, 2026

Unable to win on the battlefield, Putin escalates war on Ukrainian civilians

By Peter Dickinson

A war crime of staggering proportions is currently unfolding in full public view across Ukraine as Russia methodically bombs the country’s utilities in a calculated bid to freeze millions of civilians in their own homes and spark a humanitarian catastrophe, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Drones

UkraineAlert

Jan 20, 2026

Surrender or freeze: Putin’s winter blitz targets Ukrainian civilians

By Yuliya Kazdobina

Millions of Ukrainians have spent much of January without electricity and heating amid extreme winter weather conditions as Russia ruthlessly bombs Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure in a bid to freeze the country into submission, writes Yuliya Kazdobina.

Conflict
Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Jan 20, 2026

Ukraine’s best security guarantee is the ability to strike back inside Russia

By Serhii Kuzan

With Kyiv’s Western allies unlikely to risk war with Russia, Ukraine’s most realistic security guarantee remains a strong military coupled with the ability to strike targets deep inside Russia, writes Serhii Kuzan.

Conflict
Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Jan 15, 2026

Ukraine’s enhanced fortifications are increasing the cost of Putin’s invasion

By David Kirichenko

As Ukraine focuses on preventing further Russian advances, Kyiv is investing in a major upgrade of the country’s defenses. This has resulted in what The Economist recently described as a “massive fortification system” covering much of the Ukrainian battlefield, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict
Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jan 15, 2026

Veterans can shape the future of Ukrainian democracy

By Vasyl Sehin

The participation of military veterans in Ukraine’s political life has the potential to dramatically strengthen Ukrainian democracy and safeguard the country’s historic transition from centuries of Russian autocracy, writes Vasyl Sehin.

Conflict
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jan 13, 2026

Putin is weaponizing winter as Russia tries to freeze Ukraine into submission

By Peter Dickinson

Russia is “going all in” to destroy Ukraine’s power system, Ukrainian Deputy Energy Minister Mykola Kolisnyk said on January 13 following the latest in a series of major bombardments targeting civilian energy infrastructure in cities across the country.

Conflict
Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Jan 13, 2026

Putin cannot accept any peace deal that secures Ukrainian statehood

By William Dixon, Maksym Beznosiuk

Putin has no obvious route to victory in 2026 but cannot accept a compromise peace as any settlement that safeguarded Ukrainian independence would be seen in Moscow as an historic Russian defeat, write William Dixon and Maksym Beznosiuk.

Conflict
Nationalism

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UkraineAlert

May 25, 2021

US diplomatic signals go unheard in Ukraine

By Oleksiy Honcharuk

President Zelenskyy’s recent press conference marking his second year in office reinforced the impression that Kyiv is still struggling to interpret the diplomatic signals it is receiving from Washington.

Corruption
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 20, 2021

Putin’s passport ploy in Ukraine may pave way for Russia’s next annexation

By Peter Dickinson

As Vladimir Putin’s hybrid war against Ukraine grinds into its eighth year, Russian passports are emerging as Moscow’s most effective weapon in its struggle to limit Ukrainian sovereignty.

Conflict
Non-Traditional Threats

UkraineAlert

May 20, 2021

Biden softens sanctions on Putin’s pipeline

By Diane Francis

The Biden administration has this week announced a mixed bag of sanctions and waivers concerning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, leaving opponents of Putin’s pet energy project confused and alarmed.

Geopolitics & Energy Security
Germany

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2021

President Zelenskyy: Deoligarchization is the key to Ukraine’s future success

By Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the recent measures imposed against Viktor Medvedchuk are just the beginning and argues that deoligarchization holds the key to Ukraine's future success.

Corruption
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2021

Ukraine’s EU Association Agreement obliges Kyiv to pursue rule of law reforms

By Willem Aldershoff

Ukraine's landmark 2014 EU Association Agreement contains a number of often overlooked commitments that oblige Kyiv to remain firmly on the path towards reform and the rule of law.

Corruption
European Union

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2021

Naftogaz drama highlights Ukraine’s politics of personal destruction

By Adrian Karatnycky

In Ukraine, it seems, no public leader leaves office without being subjected to a wave of invective, criticism, and scorn. This negative culture was on display recently during a turbulent leadership change at Naftogaz.

Energy Markets & Governance
Political Reform

UkraineAlert

May 13, 2021

Putin’s key Ukraine ally charged with treason

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine’s leading pro-Kremlin politician, Viktor Medvedchuk, has been charged with treason this week as the Zelenskyy administration escalates its efforts to counter Russian influence in the country.

Conflict
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 13, 2021

Putin’s Ukraine War: EU warns Russia is “de facto integrating” occupied east

By Peter Dickinson

The European Union has warned that Russia is seeking to “de facto integrate” the Kremlin-controlled separatist republics of east Ukraine. The EU raised the alarm in a note to member states, Bloomberg reported on May 12.

Conflict
European Union

UkraineAlert

May 13, 2021

A new vision for Ukraine’s Prosecution Service

By Iryna Venediktova

Since Ukraine regained independence in 1991, successive attempts to reform the country’s prosecution service have met with only limited success. Efforts are now underway to change this disappointing picture.

Democratic Transitions
Human Rights

UkraineAlert

May 11, 2021

Blinken Kyiv visit analysis: What next for US-Ukraine ties?

By Peter Dickinson

What can US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to Kyiv tell us about the current state and future prospects for bilateral relations between America and Ukraine?

Corruption
Democratic Transitions