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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

Oct 13, 2020

Putin’s pipeline is a strategic weapon. It must be stopped

By Members of the Ukrainian parliament

As the struggle over the Kremlin's Nord Stream 2 pipeline continues, a group of Ukrainian MPs has issued a joint letter highlighting the international security threat posed by the strategic energy project.

European Union Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Oct 12, 2020

UK and Ukraine sign historic post-Brexit free trade deal

By Vasyl Myroshnychenko

The jury is still out on the economic impact of Brexit, but Ukraine emerged in early October as an unlikely early beneficiary of Britain’s EU exit by signing a landmark partnership agreement including free trade.

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

UkraineAlert

Oct 12, 2020

Russo-Ukrainian War: Time for Zelenskyy to turn from populism to pragmatism

By Taras Kuzio

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy won election last year with populist promises of peace with Russia, but the realities of ongoing Kremlin aggression mean a more pragmatic approach is now necessary.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Oct 8, 2020

Ukraine’s reforms in doubt as political climate changes

By Anders Åslund

A recent reprimand and public expression of no confidence in two key reformers at the National Bank of Ukraine highlights the changing political climate in the country as post-2014 reforms face reversal.

Democratic Transitions Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Oct 8, 2020

Zelenskyy: Ukraine wants a step-by-step plan towards future EU membership

By Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offers a positive assessment of the 2020 EU-Ukraine Summit in Brussels and calls for the creation of a step-by-step plan towards Ukraine's future EU membership.

Democratic Transitions Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Oct 5, 2020

The case for sanctioning Ukraine’s anti-Western MPs

By Daria Kaleniuk

Many of Ukraine's most prominent anti-Western figures also have considerable business interests in the West. Anti-corruption activists accuse them of hypocrisy and say sanctions are justified.

Corruption Non-Traditional Threats

UkraineAlert

Oct 1, 2020

Battle on the home front: Care for Ukraine’s veterans

By Lauren Van Metre

The situation faced by veterans in today’s Ukraine is not just a human-interest story. The reintegration of veterans must be a priority for Ukraine’s government, its allies, and its NATO partners.

Conflict Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Sep 30, 2020

Russia as aggressor, NATO as objective: Ukraine’s new National Security Strategy

By Alyona Getmanchuk

Ukraine unveiled a new National Security Strategy in September 2020 that clearly identifies Russia as the enemy and sets out NATO membership as the end goal of the country's security policy.

Conflict National Security

UkraineAlert

Sep 28, 2020

EU-Ukraine tensions mount ahead of annual summit

By Peter Dickinson

The EU-Ukraine Summit in Brussels on October 6 is likely to be dominated by concerns that President Zelenskyy is no longer committed to maintaining Ukraine's post-2014 path towards Euro-Atlantic integration.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Sep 28, 2020

Ukraine must think globally in its hybrid war with Russia

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine is likely to last decades. Kyiv's best hope of success lies in broadening the context of the conflict and backing international efforts to contain the Kremlin.

Conflict Non-Traditional Threats