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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

May 4, 2020

Zelenskyy prefers to stay silent on Russian war guilt

By Taras Kuzio

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made ending the country’s ongoing war with Russia his top priority. However, his reluctance to hold Moscow publicly responsible for the conflict risks complicating efforts to secure peace.

Conflict Russia

UkraineAlert

May 4, 2020

A serious but flawed look at peace in the Donbas

By John E. Herbst

The conflict in the Donbas cannot be solved by Ukraine and Russia alone, but the West must not unconditionally accept a "Russian consensus" to achieve it.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

May 3, 2020

Zelenskyy fails to deliver on promise of a new beginning

By David Clark

Volodymyr Zelenskyy won the Ukrainian presidency in spring 2019 as a political outsider promising an end to decades of corrupt government. One year on, Ukrainians are still waiting for evidence of this fight against corruption.

Democratic Transitions Populism

UkraineAlert

Apr 30, 2020

Putin must end Ukraine war if he wants sanctions relief

By Lisa Yasko

The Kremlin is calling for sanctions to be relaxed as part of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, but Putin has shown no accompanying inclination to end Russia's six-year war in Ukraine.

Conflict Coronavirus

UkraineAlert

Apr 30, 2020

Ukraine must continue electoral reform in 2020

By Harald Jepsen

Ukraine's fledgling democracy has made huge progress in recent years, but further reform of the country's Election Code is urgently required ahead of October's planned local elections, argues Harald Jepsen.

Democratic Transitions Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 30, 2020

Broadening Ukraine’s foreign policy horizons in the post-coronavirus world

By Hanna Shelest

Ukraine's foreign policy has traditionally focused on the choice between Russia and the West, but the country could benefit from a more global approach to diplomacy with clearly defined regional strategies.

Coronavirus Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Apr 28, 2020

Coronavirus crisis spells doom for Putin’s dreams of rebuilding the Soviet empire

By Solomiia Bobrovska

The coronavirus crisis has sparked a collapse in oil prices that is hitting Russia hard. With the Kremlin coffers increasingly empty, could change be on the horizon in Moscow for the first time since 1991?

Coronavirus Russia

UkraineAlert

Apr 28, 2020

Three more reasons to be optimistic about Ukraine’s future

By Adair Appleton and Doug Klain

After spending a year studying with some of the best political scientists and economists in the United States, Ukraine's up-and-coming innovators make their mark.

Civil Society Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Apr 27, 2020

Is Saakashvili the right choice for Ukraine?

By Peter Dickinson

Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is on the verge of a highly unlikely return to Ukrainian politics as the country's new Deputy Prime Minister for Reforms. What might this mean for Ukraine?

Democratic Transitions Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Apr 23, 2020

Does Putin want peace?

By Peter Dickinson

The election of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Ukraine's new president in April 2019 raised hopes of a breakthrough towards peace in the country's war with Russia. One year on, it is clear that only Putin can end the conflict.

Conflict Russia

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UkraineAlert

Jul 6, 2021

National Bank of Ukraine prioritizes green finance

By Kyrylo Shevchenko

The National Bank of Ukraine's recently updated strategy document identifies green finance as a key focus for the institution in the coming years as NBU officials look to further Ukraine's European integration.

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment

UkraineAlert

Jul 6, 2021

UKRAINE AT 30: Europe’s frontline democracy

By Brian Mefford

Ukrainians will celebrate 30 years of independence in summer 2021 with their country serving as the frontline of European democracy following three decades of tumultuous change.

Democratic Transitions Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 5, 2021

Could a judicial ombudsman help solve Ukraine’s rule of law problems?

By Bate Toms

One possible solution to Ukraine's rule of law problems is the creation of a Judicial Ombudsman to act as a prosecutor and provide judicial oversight in line with the model successfully used in Sweden.

Corruption Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 1, 2021

The need for a renewed NATO

By French Hill

As the principal military pillar of the transatlantic partnership, NATO is essential to meeting the security challenges America and her allies face. However, if it is to be effective, it must evolve. It has done so in the past, and it can do so now, argues Rep. French Hill.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

UkraineAlert

Jun 30, 2021

For Ukrainians, Euro 2020 resonates beyond football

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's success at the Euro 2020 European championship is about much more than football as the country struggles to defend itself against Russian imperial aggression and assert an independent identity.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jun 27, 2021

Putin’s Crimean crackdown continues: Radio Free Europe journalist targeted

By Diane Francis

Russia has arrested and jailed freelance Radio Free Europe journalist Vladislav Yesypenko in a prosecution that appears to be part of a broader Kremlin campaign against the US-funded media outlet.

Conflict Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Jun 27, 2021

Ukraine’s Russia sanctions target Putin’s inner circle

By Anders Åslund

Ukraine’s recently updated sanctions against Russia are the most comprehensive since 2014 and demonstrate that the Ukrainian government understands the value of targeting people close to Vladimir Putin.

Conflict Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

UkraineAlert

Jun 25, 2021

British warship challenges Russian claims to Crimea

By Peter Dickinson

A British warship sailed through Crimean waters on June 23 in what was widely seen as a reminder that the international community rejects Russia’s purported 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.

Conflict Maritime Security

UkraineAlert

Jun 24, 2021

Putin blames anyone but himself for loss of Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently published an op-ed accusing the US of staging an anti-Russian coup in Ukraine, but in reality nobody has done more to erode Russian influence in Ukraine than Putin himself.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jun 24, 2021

Ukraine offers hope in an increasingly homophobic neighborhood

By Adrian Hoefer, Shelby Magid

While Ukrainian attitudes towards the LGBTQI community are still far behind the levels of acceptance encountered elsewhere in the West, Ukraine’s modest progress offers hope in a region where intolerance is on the rise.

Civil Society Human Rights