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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

Sep 1, 2021

Young Ukrainians must not remain hostages to the country’s totalitarian trauma

By Sonya Rashkovan

Modern Ukraine remains haunted by the legacy of the country's deeply troubled history, but the emerging generation of young Ukrainians must move beyond this totalitarian trauma in order to build a better future, argues 16-year-old student activist Sonya Rashkovan.

Democratic Transitions Resilience & Society

UkraineAlert

Aug 31, 2021

Could Snake Island be the next hot spot in Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war?

By Andrew D’Anieri, Doug Klain

Vladimir Putin's hybrid war against Ukraine is now in its eighth year and shows no signs of ending. Many expect the next escalation to come in the Black Sea, with Ukraine's Snake Island a potentially attractive target.

Conflict Maritime Security

UkraineAlert

Aug 30, 2021

What unites Ukrainians?

By Arena

As Ukraine enters its fourth decade of statehood, new research based on more than 20 focus groups held across the country offers fascinating insights into the issues and experiences that unite Ukrainians.

Democratic Transitions Resilience & Society

UkraineAlert

Aug 30, 2021

“Crimea is Ukraine”: Kyiv summit sends powerful message to Vladimir Putin

By Diane Francis

The inaugural Crimea Platform summit in August sent a strong message to Moscow that the international community continues to recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine and rejects the Russian occupation.

Conflict Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2021

Rule of law shortcomings are the greatest obstacle to Ukraine’s future success

By Richard Deitz

US President Joe Biden's August 31 meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a good opportunity to underline the importance of reforming the Ukrainian judiciary, writes US investor Richard Deitz.

Corruption Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2021

Ukrainian leaders to Biden: Standing with the world’s democracies means changing course on Nord Stream 2

By a group of Ukrainian lawmakers, leaders, civil society activists, and experts

In a letter to President Joe Biden, more than 50 Ukrainian policymakers, leaders, experts, and civil society activists call for the United States to change course on support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Corruption Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2021

Putin’s pipeline poses an “existential threat” to Ukraine

By Diane Francis

The CEO of Ukraine's energy giant Naftogaz, Yuriy Vitrenko, has branded Vladimir Putin's Nord Stream 2 pipeline project an existential threat to Ukraine and a security threat to Europe as a whole.

Conflict Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Aug 24, 2021

Looking back at the events that defined three decades of Ukrainian independence

By Peter Dickinson

As Ukrainians celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of their country's independence, the Atlantic Council asked a range of experts for their opinions on the most significant events during independent Ukraine's first three decades.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 23, 2021

UKRAINE AT 30: What is independent Ukraine’s greatest achievement?

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine marks 30 years of independence this week with much to celebrate and plenty to regret. The Atlantic Council invited a range of experts to share their thoughts on independent Ukraine’s greatest achievements.

Democratic Transitions Resilience & Society

UkraineAlert

Aug 23, 2021

Biden can reassert US leadership by backing Ukraine against Russia

By Alexander Vershbow

President Biden must use his August 31 meeting with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy to underline America's commitment to defending the rules-based international order and supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

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The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.

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UkraineAlert

Aug 7, 2021

The 2008 Russo-Georgian War: Putin’s green light

By Peter Dickinson

The 2008 Russo-Georgian War is now widely recognized as a landmark event in Russia's emergence under Vladimir Putin as a revisionist power seeking to reverse the verdict of 1991.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Aug 5, 2021

Time to remind Russia that Crimea is Ukraine

By Oleksii Reznikov

The inaugural meeting of Ukraine's new Crimean Platform initiative will take place in Kyiv later this month as efforts continue to end the seven-year Russian occupation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Aug 5, 2021

How Ukraine can push back against Vladimir Putin’s twisted history

By Tom Warner

Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent article on Ukrainian history has been interpreted by many as a declaration of war against Ukrainian national identity. How should Ukraine respond to this ominous essay?

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Aug 5, 2021

Here to dine in Kyiv

By Melinda Haring

Looking for a quick foodie holiday? The food in Ukraine is by turns inventive and inexpensive, creative, and delicious.

Civil Society Ukraine

BelarusAlert

Aug 4, 2021

Belarus dissident death in Ukraine fuels fears over Lukashenka death squads

By Brian Whitmore

The suspicious death of exiled Belarus dissident Vital Shyshou in Kyiv this week is fueling speculation over dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka's use of death squads to eliminate political opponents across Europe.

Belarus Non-Traditional Threats

UkraineAlert

Aug 3, 2021

The next hot food destination is Ukraine

By Melinda Haring

It's only a matter of time before foodies the world over discover these gems in Ukraine.

Civil Society Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 27, 2021

Is Putin’s next big chance to take Ukraine now?

By Mark Temnycky

With the world distracted by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is anyone paying attention to Ukraine's East? Distractions favor Putin, and he's taken advantage of nearly every major sporting event of the last 14 years to stun the world.

Conflict Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Jul 27, 2021

More backsliding in Kyiv

By Andrew D’Anieri

President Zelenskyy's exemption of infrastructure projects from standard tender procedures and oversight is a setback for reform. Yet the move has sparked necessary conversations on how to improve public procurement in Ukraine.

Corruption Economy & Business
President Biden and Chancellor Merkel at a press conference at the White House.

UkraineAlert

Jul 27, 2021

Why is Biden letting Putin win?

By Diane Francis

Russia and Germany, enabled by a distracted and increasingly isolationist United States, trample Europe and ignore the wishes of Central and Eastern European and Baltic nation-states. What does the White House think it’s doing?

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Jul 20, 2021

Infrastructure cooperation could hold the key to Armenia’s future security

By Ani Yeghiazaryan

As the South Caucasus looks to move on following last year's Nagorno-Karabakh War, shared infrastructure projects could help foster greater regional stability and improve the chances for a sustainable peace.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding