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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

Sep 1, 2026

For Putin, the ‘root cause’ of the war is the existence of independent Ukraine

By Kateryna Odarchenko

Moscow claims to be ready for peace once the "root causes" of the Russia-Ukraine War are addressed, but Putin's demands confirm that he believes the "root cause" of the war is the existence of an independent Ukraine, writes Kateryna Odarchenko.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Sep 1, 2026

Europe should already start planning for a post-Lukashenka Belarus

By Viktar Baranau

There is nothing about today’s Belarus that suggests a country on the verge of change. Nevertheless, European policymakers would be well-advised to begin preparing for a post-Lukashenka Belarus now, in order to have a plan in place when the moment of transition arrives, writes Viktar Baranau.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2026

Ukrainians are not superheroes with endless powers of resilience

By Lauren Van Metre, Elena Davlikanova

By celebrating Ukrainian resilience as an almost superhuman quality, the international community risks obscuring the much less glamorous reality that Ukrainians are actually ordinary people who have endured extraordinary violence for far too long, write Lauren Van Metre and Elena Davlikanova.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2026

Drone parade showcases Ukraine’s remarkable military transformation

By Mykola Bielieskov

Ukraine celebrated Independence Day this week with a novel military parade made up exclusively of unmanned systems, underlining the country’s emergence as a global leader in the field of drone warfare, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2026

Russia’s war will not end until Putin accepts Ukrainian independence

By Peter Dickinson

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is pursuing longstanding Russian imperial objectives in Ukraine and will not stop until he is forced to accept the irreversible reality of an independent Ukrainian state, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2026

A cultural renaissance is reshaping national identity in wartime Ukraine

By Davis Richardson

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is fueling a defiant cultural outpouring that is redefining and strengthening Ukrainian national identity in ways that challenge centuries of Kremlin imperialism, writes Davis Richardson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 20, 2026

As pressure mounts on Putin, Russia is escalating against Ukraine’s allies

By Peter Dickinson

With the Russian army struggling to advance in Ukraine and Ukrainian strikes increasing inside Russia, Putin is escalating his gray zone campaign against Kyiv's European allies in a bid to deprive Ukraine of vital support and rescue his faltering invasion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Aug 20, 2026

Zelenskyy’s recent Serbia visit was a win for Ukraine and the West

By Stephen Blank

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent visit to Serbia highlighted growing ties between Kyiv and Belgrade while also underlining wartime Ukraine's emergence as an important geopolitical player, writes Stephen Blank.

Conflict Elections

UkraineAlert

Aug 18, 2026

Odesa under attack: Russia is cutting Ukraine off from the Black Sea

By Michael Bociurkiw

Russia's current bombing strategy is not simply to punish Odesa. Moscow aims to make Ukraine's largest Black Sea port city functionally landlocked, writes Michael Bociurkiw.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Aug 18, 2026

Echoes of Odysseus in Ukraine’s ingenious approach to the art of war

By Brian Mefford

Christopher Nolan's new blockbuster film version of the Odyssey is shaped by timeless values of military ingenuity, righteous justice, and a longing for one’s homeland that offer ancient echoes of modern-day Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, writes Brian Mefford.

Conflict Defense Policy

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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

Dec 17, 2020

International Criminal Court is no panacea for Ukraine

By Wayne Jordash and Anna Mykytenko

The International Criminal Court announced plans in December 2020 for a probe into possible war crimes committed in Ukraine since 2014, but past experience indicates the road to justice will be long.

Conflict International Organizations

UkraineAlert

Dec 17, 2020

International investigation into Ukraine war crimes is Kremlin’s worst nightmare

By Dmytro Kuleba

The International Criminal Court looks set to begin an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine since 2014, opening the way for a trial that could eventually hold Russia to account for its six-year war against Ukraine.

Conflict Russia

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2020

The issue Ukraine’s first lady should champion vocally

By Laryssa Horodysky and Melinda Haring

A recent report by Amnesty International has highlighted the growing domestic violence crisis in war-torn eastern Ukraine. Coronavirus lockdown conditions are expected to add to the problem.

Coronavirus Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2020

Reloading Ukraine’s privatization process

By Dmytro Sennychenko

The Ukrainian parliament is scheduled to consider a new bill in late December 2020 that aims to continue a radical reload of the country's privatization process begun in 2019.

Corruption Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2020

National parties lose out to local candidates in Ukraine’s 2020 municipal elections

By Brian Mefford

The 2020 Ukrainian local elections were a victory for local over national politics. 11 of 24 oblast centers were won by candidates who were either self-nominated or representing their own regional party.

Elections Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 10, 2020

The EU must help resolve constitutional crisis in Kyiv

By Willem Aldershoff

Ukraine's Constitutional Court has plunged the country into a crisis that threatens its post-2014 progress. The EU can help Kyiv fight back by imposing sanctions on the MPs leading the attack on anti-corruption reforms.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Dec 9, 2020

Letter to the Editor: Recent Yulia Tymoshenko “Kremlin proxy” claims are nonsense

By Natasha Lysova

Letter to the Editor: The Press Secretary of Batkivshchyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko voices her objection to Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev's characterization of Tymoshenko as a "Kremlin proxy"

Energy Markets & Governance Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Dec 8, 2020

Can privatization transform Ukraine’s alcohol industry?

By Sergey Bleskun

In 2019, President Zelenskyy initiated the privatization of Ukraine's state-owned alcohol producers in a bid to reform what is one of the most corrupt sectors of the Ukrainian economy and generate budget revenues.

Corruption Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Dec 7, 2020

Belarusian opposition leader’s message to the West: ‘Stay with us and we will win’

By David A. Wemer

Explicit support from Western governments for the Belarusian people and stronger pressure on Lukashenka and his allies will help oust the regime and allow for new elections, Tsikhanouskaya said. “Stay with us and we will win.”

Belarus Civil Society

UkraineAlert

Dec 7, 2020

Ukraine’s community spirit on display as businesses rally to counter COVID crisis

By Andy Hunder

Ukraine's business community has demonstrated an admirable sense of corporate social responsibility during this year's COVID crisis, says American Chamber of Commerce President Andy Hunder

Coronavirus Ukraine