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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 27, 2022

The US must show leadership in countering Putin’s imperial ambitions

By Eugene Czolij

The United States needs to assume a strong leadership position in international efforts to counter Putin’s imperial ambitions. Putin has made clear what he wants. It is time for America to deliver an equally emphatic response.

Conflict Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Jan 27, 2022

Inside Putin’s Ukraine obsession

By Taras Kuzio

When Russian President Vladimir Putin laments the fall of the USSR and speaks about the injustice of the post-Soviet settlement, he is really thinking of Russian imperialism and has Ukraine primarily in mind.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jan 25, 2022

Survey: Western public backs stronger support for Ukraine against Russia

By Carl Bildt, Aleksander Kwasniewski, Victor Pinchuk, Anders Fogh Rasmussen

A recent six-country opinion survey commissioned by the Yalta European Strategy and Victor Pinchuk Foundation has identified strong Western public backing for an assertive policy in support of Ukraine.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jan 25, 2022

Ukrainian diaspora says Canada must do more to back Ukraine against Putin

By Diane Francis

Members of Canada’s large Ukrainian diaspora are growing increasingly frustrated with what they see as their government’s failure to stand with Ukraine as it faces the prospect of a full-scale Russian invasion.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 24, 2022

Putin’s threatened invasion is already hitting the Ukrainian economy hard

By Anders Åslund

While the world waits to see if Vladimir Putin will proceed with his threatened invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s menacing military posture is already hitting the Ukrainian economy hard.

Conflict Corruption

UkraineAlert

Jan 23, 2022

Disarming Putin’s history weapon

By Bohdan Vitvitsky

Ever since 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin has weaponized history as part of his hybrid war against Ukraine and sought to whitewash what is a deeply troubling Russian record of atrocity and oppression.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jan 23, 2022

Ukraine Crisis: Putin the gambler may have gone too far to back down

By Timothy Ash

Russian President Vladimir Putin has gained the world's attention with his threat to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine but he may now feel he must act or risk a serious loss of credibility on the international stage.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Jan 22, 2022

Stop asking what Putin wants and start asking what Ukrainians want

By Mychailo Wynnyckyj

Fears of a major European war have sparked endless speculation over what Putin may want and how the West should react, but Ukraine itself has been largely reduced to the status of bystander in its own national drama.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 19, 2022

Don’t believe Putin’s propaganda. Sanctions are hurting Russia.

By Harley Balzer

International sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014 in response to Moscow's attack on Ukraine continue to have a negative impact on the country's economy despite Kremlin efforts to claim otherwise.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jan 18, 2022

Ben Wallace: Putin’s bogus NATO fears disguise Ukraine ambitions

By Peter Dickinson

As geopolitical tensions continue to mount in Eastern Europe, UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace has published an essay exposing the chilling reality behind Russian President Vladimir Putin's imperial ambitions in Ukraine.

Conflict Disinformation

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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

Mar 22, 2021

Maidan’s metamorphosis mirrors Ukraine’s national coming of age

By Peter Dickinson

Over the past three decades of Ukrainian independence, Kyiv's Independence Square has undergone a post-Soviet metamorphosis that mirrors Ukraine's own national coming of age.

Democratic Transitions Resilience & Society

UkraineAlert

Mar 22, 2021

Young Ukrainian mayor offers hope of a new politics

By Brian Mefford

In November 2020, residents of the western Ukrainian city Rivne voted for a dramatic change in the local political status quo by electing 34-year-old Oleksandr Tretyak as their new mayor.

Democratic Transitions Elections

UkraineAlert

Mar 21, 2021

Germany’s Greens vow to block Putin’s pipeline

By Diane Francis

Germany's Greens have confirmed plans to block Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline if, as expected, they form part of the new German coalition government following Bundestag elections in September 2021.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Germany

UkraineAlert

Mar 18, 2021

Vladimir Putin does not want peace with Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy entered office in 2019 promising to negotiate a settlement with Vladimir Putin. He now appears to have recognized that Putin does not actually want peace with Ukraine.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Mar 18, 2021

Putin turns up pressure on Russian opposition ahead of September Duma elections

By Peter Dickinson

Moscow police raided a conference of independent municipal lawmakers on March 13 in a move that marks an escalation in the Kremlin crackdown on political opposition ahead of September elections.

Civil Society Elections

UkraineAlert

Mar 17, 2021

New documentary chronicles the plight of Crimean Tatars under Russian occupation

By Elina-Alem Kent

The recently released documentary film “Crimean Solidarity” chronicles the inspirational efforts of the Crimean Tatar community as it struggles against the oppressive reality of Russian occupation.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 12, 2021

Is the US still committed to stopping Putin’s pipeline?

By Diane Francis

Concerns are growing over the Biden administration's commitment to blocking a controversial gas pipeline that threatens to significantly strengthen Putin's influence over Europe.

European Union Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Mar 11, 2021

How Zelenskyy can improve the US-Ukraine relationship

By Brian Mefford

Following a sometimes rocky relationship during the four years of the Trump administration, the Ukrainian government is seeking to begin the Biden presidency with US-Ukrainian ties on more stable footing.

Political Reform Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Mar 11, 2021

New report offers road map for getting US-Ukraine bilateral ties back on track

By Andrew D’Anieri

To mark the beginning of the Biden presidency, the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center recently published a new report entitled Biden and Ukraine: A strategy for the new administration.

Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Mar 11, 2021

Biden must persuade Germany and Austria to stop the “Schroederization” of Europe

By Anders Åslund and Benjamin L. Schmitt

US President Joe Biden needs to address the issue of Western politicians accepting Kremlin-linked jobs following their retirement from public service, argue Anders Åslund and Benjamin L. Schmitt.

Corruption Geopolitics & Energy Security