Stay Updated

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 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

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2021

UKRAINE AT 30: Andriy Shevchenko’s three decades as unofficial ambassador

By Peter Dickinson

No Ukrainian has done more to raise the country's international profile that footballer Andriy Shevchenko, who has been quite simply the most famous Ukrainian in the world since the early years of independence.

Resilience & Society Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2021

Ukraine takes a big step towards judicial reform

By Olena Halushka and Tetiana Shevchuk

Ukraine took a big step towards judicial reform on July 13 when MPs adopted laws that establish credible foundations for the reboot of the country’s deeply compromised legal system.

Civil Society Corruption

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

spotlight

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.

Follow us on social media
and support our work

Content

UkraineAlert

Sep 9, 2021

Odesa’s unique place in Ukraine’s cultural evolution

By Andrew D’Anieri

Ukrainian Black Sea port city Odesa occupies a unique place in the country's cultural evolution thanks to its unrivaled international pedigree and the limitless creative ambitions of the local cultural community.

Civil Society Resilience & Society

UkraineAlert

Sep 9, 2021

Why Ukraine must join NATO

By Adrian Hoefer

Given the Kremlin's hostile revisionism, Ukraine's membership in NATO is in the long-term interest of the US and its allies. As Moscow expands its hybrid war on the West, Ukraine is an asset.

Eastern Europe International Organizations

UkraineAlert

Sep 9, 2021

Navigating the geopolitical battlefield of Ukrainian history

By Serhii Plokhy

Prominent Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy's latest essay collection seeks to demonstrate how the country's evolving sense of national history is central to Ukraine’s current war with Russia and its relations with the West.

Resilience & Society Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Sep 7, 2021

Could Vladimir Putin repeat his Crimean conquest in southwestern Ukraine?

By Michael Druckman

The Bessarabia region in southwestern Ukraine shares many of the same characteristics that helped facilitate the 2014 Kremlin takeover of Crimea and should be a national security priority for the Ukrainian authorities.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Sep 7, 2021

Ukraine’s digital revolution is gaining momentum

By Mykhailo Fedorov

September marks the second anniversary of Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation. The Ministry can report significant progress in turning President Zelenskyy's dreams of a digital revolution into reality.

Digital Policy Internet

UkraineAlert

Sep 5, 2021

US anti-corruption crusade should focus on Europe’s east

By Janusz Bugajski

By making the fight against corruption a key US foreign policy priority, President Biden can counter the Kremlin's efforts to gain influence throughout Central and Eastern Europe via the exploitation of corruption.

Central Europe Corruption

UkraineAlert

Sep 2, 2021

Biden and Zelenskyy get US-Ukraine ties back on track

By Peter Dickinson

US President Joe Biden hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on September 1 for a meeting that sought to reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to Ukrainian sovereignty.

Democratic Transitions Politics & Diplomacy

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