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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

Apr 26, 2023

Xi calls Zelenskyy but doubts remain over China’s peacemaker credentials

By Peter Dickinson

China’s Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke for over an hour by phone on April 26 in what was the first conversation between the two leaders since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began more than fourteen months ago.

China Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 25, 2023

Putin’s dreams of a new Russian Empire are unraveling in Ukraine

By Mark Temnycky

Putin saw the invasion of Ukraine as a key step toward rebuilding the Russian Empire. Instead, it has forced countries across the former Soviet Union to distance themselves from the Kremlin, writes Mark Temnycky.

Central Asia Civil Society

UkraineAlert

Apr 25, 2023

Russia’s invasion highlights the need to invest more in Ukrainian studies

By Oleksandra Gaidai

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the need for greater international investment into Ukrainian studies but has also created huge challenges for Ukrainian academia, writes Oleksandra Gaidai.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 20, 2023

There can be no lasting peace with Russia until Ukraine liberates Crimea

By Mariia Zolkina

Some skeptics question the feasibility and wisdom of a military campaign to de-occupy Crimea, but no lasting peace with Putin's Russia will be possible until the Ukrainian peninsula is liberated, argues Mariia Zolkina.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Apr 20, 2023

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is also being fought in cyberspace

By Vera Mironova

While the war in Ukraine often resembles the trench warfare of the twentieth century, the battle for cyber dominance is highly innovative and offers insights into the future of international aggression, writes Vera Mironova.

Conflict Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Apr 18, 2023

Russia’s Ukraine invasion is the latest stage in the unfinished Soviet collapse

By Richard Cashman

Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is best understood as the latest stage in the unfinished collapse of the Soviet Union and as part of Russia's historic retreat from empire, argues Richard Cashman.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 18, 2023

Vladimir Kara-Murza’s 25-year sentence is a verdict against all Russians

By Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Vladimir Kara-Murza's 25-year prison sentence for speaking the truth about the invasion of Ukraine is a major milestone in modern Russia's descent into Stalinism, says former Ukrainian PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 14, 2023

Ukrainian victory “could help ensure Europe’s future energy security”

By Diane Francis

Ukraine has massive potential to increase domestic energy production and could eventually replace Russian energy exports to the European Union in the post-war era, says Naftogaz CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Apr 13, 2023

Putin cancels Victory Day parades as Ukraine invasion continues to unravel

By Peter Dickinson

The cancellation of Victory Day parades in multiple Russian regional capitals is a blow to Putin's personal prestige that exposes the grim reality behind Moscow's upbeat propaganda portrayals of the faltering Ukraine invasion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Apr 12, 2023

Poland and Ukraine: The emerging alliance that could reshape Europe

By Taras Kuzio

Poland's leading role in the European response to Russia's Ukraine invasion is fueling talk of a eastward shift in Europe's geopolitical center of gravity with the Polish-Ukrainian alliance set to become increasingly influential.

Conflict Defense Industry

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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.

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UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2021

Ukraine’s faltering efforts to privatize state-owned banks

By Mark Savchuk

The Ukrainian government is committed to reducing its estimated 55% stake in the country's banking system by overseeing the privatization of state-owned banks, but progress remains painfully slow.

Economy & Business Financial Regulation

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2021

Naftogaz corporate governance is a national priority for Ukraine

By Andriy Boytsun

In recent months, developments at Ukraine’s national energy company, Naftogaz, have raised concerns over the country's broader post-Maidan drive to reform corporate governance at state-owned enterprises

Corruption Energy Markets & Governance

UkraineAlert

Jul 15, 2021

Is Kazakhstan experiencing the early stages of a democratic awakening?

By Rustam Kypshakbayev

While it is too early to speak of a democratic awakening in Kazakhstan, current trends suggest that the country may be moving in that direction. This could have major repercussions for the wider region.

Central Asia Civil Society

UkraineAlert

Jul 15, 2021

Putin’s new Ukraine essay reveals imperial ambitions

By Peter Dickinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined the historical basis for his claims against Ukraine in a controversial new essay that has been likened in some quarters to a declaration of war.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2021

The world cannot ignore Putin’s Ukraine obsession

By Peter Dickinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin has published a new essay on the "historical unity" of Russians and Ukrainians that illustrates the imperial thinking behind his ongoing seven-year war against Ukraine.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2021

Ukraine’s Security Service reform plans under threat

By Olena Scherban and Olena Halushka

Ukrainian MPs will vote on reform of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) later this week, but serious questions remain over the effectiveness of the draft law in its current form.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2021

Putin will use weaponized pipeline to blackmail Europe

By Inna Sovsun

Vladimir Putin makes little secret of his plans to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, but will Western leaders act before the energy infrastructure project enters service in the coming months?

European Union Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2021

Will Zelenskyy target all Ukrainian oligarchs equally?

By David Clark

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently unveiled plans to curb the political influence of the country's powerful oligarchs, but skeptics question whether he will target oligarch ally Ihor Kolomoisky.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jul 9, 2021

Why Germany’s relationship with Putin’s Russia is a problem for Ukraine

By John Lough

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel on July 12, they will find plenty of common ground in their analysis of Russia and their difficult relationships with Vladimir Putin.

Conflict Germany

UkraineAlert

Jul 7, 2021

Biden faces further battle over Putin’s pipeline

By Diane Francis

President Biden’s efforts to strike a deal with Germany over Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline are encountering fresh opposition as the Kremlin underlines its readiness to use energy supplies as a geopolitical weapon.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Germany