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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 13, 2026

Putin is weaponizing winter as Russia tries to freeze Ukraine into submission

By Peter Dickinson

Russia is “going all in” to destroy Ukraine’s power system, Ukrainian Deputy Energy Minister Mykola Kolisnyk said on January 13 following the latest in a series of major bombardments targeting civilian energy infrastructure in cities across the country.

Conflict
Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Jan 13, 2026

Putin cannot accept any peace deal that secures Ukrainian statehood

By William Dixon, Maksym Beznosiuk

Putin has no obvious route to victory in 2026 but cannot accept a compromise peace as any settlement that safeguarded Ukrainian independence would be seen in Moscow as an historic Russian defeat, write William Dixon and Maksym Beznosiuk.

Conflict
Nationalism

UkraineAlert

Jan 11, 2026

Belarus hosts nuclear-capable Russian missiles despite talk of US thaw

By Mercedes Sapuppo

Russia’s recent delivery of nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles to Belarus is a very deliberate act of nuclear saber-rattling that underlines Belarus’s continued role in Putin’s war machine as Minsk seeks to improve ties with the US, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Belarus
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 8, 2026

Russia’s war on Ukrainian farmers threatens global food security

By Oleksandr Tolokonnikov

By attacking Ukrainian farmers, Russia seeks to undermine Ukraine’s food security, just as it targets the country’s energy infrastructure to deprive the civilian population of access to electricity and heating, writes Oleksandr Tolokonnikov.

Conflict
Drones

UkraineAlert

Jan 8, 2026

Ukraine’s robot army will be crucial in 2026 but drones can’t replace infantry

By David Kirichenko

Ukraine’s growing robot army of land drones will play a vital role in the country’s defense during 2026, but they are not wonder weapons and cannot serve as a miracle cure for Kyiv’s manpower shortages, writes David Kirichenko.

Artificial Intelligence
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 7, 2026

Ukraine security guarantees are futile without increased pressure on Putin

By Peter Dickinson

Western leaders have hailed progress toward “robust” security guarantees for Ukraine this week, but until Putin faces increased pressure to make peace, Russia will remain committed to continuing the war, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
France

UkraineAlert

Dec 24, 2025

The art of war is undergoing a technological revolution in Ukraine

By Oleg Dunda

Ukraine’s battlefield experience since 2022 confirms that in order to be successful in modern warfare, armies should model themselves on technological giants like Amazon and SpaceX, writes Oleg Dunda.

Conflict
Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Dec 23, 2025

Reclaiming Russia’s ‘historical lands’: How far do Putin’s imperial ambitions extend?

By Peter Dickinson

Putin has again vowed to “liberate Russia’s historical lands” via negotiations or military means. The list of countries that could qualify as “historically Russian” in Putin’s revisionist worldview is long and extends far beyond Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Central Europe
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Dec 18, 2025

Prisoner releases are welcome news but talk of a Belarus thaw is premature

By Hanna Liubakova

The freeing of 123 political prisoners in Belarus last week is encouraging news but should not be interpreted as an indication of more fundamental change, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Dec 18, 2025

What’s in the new US defense bill for Ukraine?

By Doug Klain

The NDAA includes the best legislative support from Congress that Ukraine has received all year. At the same time, it also underscores the dramatic reduction in overall US support for Ukraine during 2025, writes Doug Klain.

Conflict
Human Rights

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.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Jul 22, 2020

How to win Ukraine’s long fight for good governance

By Anders Åslund

Ever since 1991, Ukraine has been described as a land of huge potential, but it remains among Europe's poorest nations. Can President Zelenskyy provide the good governance Ukraine requires to succeed?

Corruption
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jul 21, 2020

Ukraine’s healthcare system is in critical condition again

By Judy Twigg

After a few years in remission, Ukraine’s health sector is in critical condition once again, with efforts underway to reverse the reform progress achieved in the sector since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity.

Democratic Transitions
Political Reform

BelarusAlert

Jul 20, 2020

Belarus presidential vote: Ukrainian MPs join calls for democratic breakthrough

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

The August 9 presidential election in Belarus promises to have major geopolitical ramifications for the entire region. A cross-party group of Ukrainian MPs has formed an association to support democracy in Belarus ahead of the vote.

Belarus
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jul 20, 2020

Statelessness in Ukraine: New law offers fresh hope

By Eric Fritz and Kseniia Karahiaur

Almost thirty years since the collapse of the USSR, statelessness remains a significant issue in independent Ukraine, but new legislation aims to make it easier for residents to gain legal status.

Human Rights
International Norms

UkraineAlert

Jul 17, 2020

Israeli-Ukrainian artist offers window on late Soviet realities

By Jacob Heilbrunn

Artist Zoya Cherkassky stands for something permanent and enduring, drawing on the deep traditions that she encountered both in Ukraine and in Judaism.

Civil Society
Israel

UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2020

Will Ukraine’s new central bank chief be independent?

By David Clark

President Zelenskyy has appointed Kyrylo Shevchenko as Governor of Ukraine's National Bank but questions remain over whether the new NBU chief will be able to remain truly independent.

Democratic Transitions
Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Jul 15, 2020

New US sanctions block Putin’s pipeline despite Danish breakthrough

By Diane Francis

Russia has recently secured approval from Denmark to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but new US sanctions reflect America's resolve to make sure the strategically important project remains unfinished.

European Union
Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Jul 15, 2020

Toppling Lenin: The lessons of Ukraine’s memory wars

By Peter Dickinson

The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked a flurry of monument removals across the US and elsewhere. Independent Ukraine's long history of memory wars offers a timely case study in the politics of the past.

Democratic Transitions
Nationalism

UkraineAlert

Jul 14, 2020

Russo-Ukrainian War: Kremlin denials prevent progress towards peace

By Oleksandr Merezhko

Almost six years have passed since the Minsk Agreements were first signed. However, there is still fundamental disagreement over the parties to these agreements and the obligations they are under.

Conflict
Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2020

East Ukraine’s European roots and the myths of Putin’s Russian World

By Alvydas Medalinskas

Moscow has sought to justify the war in eastern Ukraine by claiming it historically belongs within the "Russian World", but this ignores the region's deep Ukrainian roots and cosmopolitan heritage.

Conflict
Disinformation