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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

Feb 22, 2021

Ukraine’s booming IT sector defies the coronavirus crisis

By Peter Dickinson

While businesses around the world are counting the cost of a year disrupted by the unprecedented challenges of the COVID crisis, Ukraine’s IT sector continues to go from strength to strength.

Coronavirus
Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Feb 20, 2021

Ukraine can play key role in Europe’s energy Green Deal

By Aura Sabadus

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), World Bank, and EU have all argued that Ukraine could become a world leader in renewable production.

Energy Transitions
Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Feb 18, 2021

Alexei Navalny is a Russian nationalist but he may still be good news for Ukraine

By Andreas Umland

Many Ukrainians remain skeptical of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny due to his Russian nationalist past, but Navalny’s impact on Russian politics may eventually prove beneficial for Ukraine.

Conflict
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Feb 18, 2021

Ukraine adopts new and improved referendum law

By Alisa Shushkovska and Harald Jepsen

Ukraine’s recently adopted National Referendum Law fulfills an election promise made by President Zelenskyy to give the people of Ukraine greater and more direct influence over national policies.

Democratic Transitions
Elections

UkraineAlert

Feb 16, 2021

Putin the Poisoner

By Peter Dickinson

Putin the Poisoner: Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted a poisonous approach to international politics in a bid to defend his own authoritarian regime by dividing, discrediting, and destabilizing the democratic world.

Disinformation
European Union

UkraineAlert

Feb 16, 2021

Why is Ukraine still not in NATO?

By Dmytro Kuleba

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recently that he’d like to ask US President Joe Biden, “Why is Ukraine still not in NATO?” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba agrees that this question has never been more pertinent.

Conflict
NATO

UkraineAlert

Feb 16, 2021

IMF puts Ukraine on pause over corruption concerns

By Anders Åslund

A recent IMF mission to Ukraine ended without reaching any decision on a new tranche. IMF concerns over Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts will increase the pressure on President Zelenskyy.

Corruption
International Financial Institutions

UkraineAlert

Feb 11, 2021

Rising EU-Russia tensions are good news for Ukraine

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s disastrous recent visit to Moscow has sparked a crisis in Russia-EU relations that could end up being to Ukraine’s advantage.

Conflict
European Union

UkraineAlert

Feb 10, 2021

Covid crisis accelerates Ukraine’s digital revolution

By Mykhailo Fedorov

The unique challenges of the Covid crisis have helped to accelerate Ukraine’s digital revolution, says the country’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

Coronavirus
Digital Policy

UkraineAlert

Feb 9, 2021

Kremlin TV chief: Russia must annex east Ukraine

By Alvydas Medalinskas

Kremlin TV chief Margarita Simonyan called on Russia to annex eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region during a recent high-profile forum that signaled an escalation in Moscow’s seven-year hybrid war against 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.

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2019

Lost in translation: Different interpretations of Paris peace talks spell trouble ahead

By Petro Burkovskyi

The diverging visions for a future peace settlement in Ukraine were on full display in Paris this week as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met for the first time. These differences were also evident in minor discrepancies that appeared in the Ukrainian and Russian language versions of the summit conclusions.

Conflict
Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2019

European integration is taking root across Ukraine despite Russia’s best efforts

By Alyona Getmanchuk

A new nationwide study has highlighted the progress made across Ukraine towards greater European integration as the country seeks to move closer to the rest of Europe despite Russian efforts to derail the process and reassert its dominant position.

European Union
Eurozone

UkraineAlert

Dec 11, 2019

Russia-Ukraine Paris peace talks: The view from Berlin

By Mattia Nelles

Monday’s Normandy Four summit in the French capital saw German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron sitting down with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in a bid to end years of deadly stalemate and bring to an end the undeclared war between Russia and Ukraine in the Donbas. What kind of impression did the long-awaited Paris summit make in Berlin?

Conflict
Germany

UkraineAlert

Dec 10, 2019

How not to discuss with Russia

By Anders Åslund

With global security threatened by the dawn of a new Cold War, dialogue between Russia and the West has never been more important, but when the desire for discussion prevents honest appraisal of the facts, the results can be counterproductive, argues Anders Åslund

International Norms
Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Dec 10, 2019

Q&A: What do Paris talks mean for the Russia-Ukraine peace process?

By Peter Dickinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the first time during long-awaited Normandy Four peace talks in Paris this week. While the meeting failed to produce any major breakthroughs, it did result in progress on a number of technical issues and a commitment to continue dialogue in spring 2020. What does this mean for the Russia-Ukraine peace process?

Conflict
Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Dec 4, 2019

The shadow of Munich hangs over Russia-Ukraine Paris peace talks

By Bohdan Nahaylo

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin face-to-face for the first time next week at Paris peace talks hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. With France publicly promoting the need for improved ties with the Kremlin, many fear Ukraine could face pressure to make dangerous concessions.

Conflict
Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Dec 4, 2019

Profit over principle: Apple appeases the Kremlin

By Diane Francis

Apple has changed the labelling on its apps for Russian users and now shows Ukraine's occupied Crimean peninsula as Russian territory. This follows a similar move by Google earlier in 2019. By bowing to the Kremlin's demands, do global tech giants risk normalizing Russian aggression against Ukraine?

Conflict
Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Dec 3, 2019

Low expectations as Zelenskyy prepares for Putin peace talks in Paris

By Taras Kuzio

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is hoping to make progress towards peace during his first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin next week in Paris, but Russian and Ukrainian visions of a post-war settlement remain fundamentally at odds.

Conflict
Russia

UkraineAlert

Dec 3, 2019

Ukraine faces a decisive December in a rapidly deteriorating geopolitical climate

By Stephen Blank

With a NATO summit in London and long awaited peace talks in Paris, December is shaping up to be a decisive month for Ukraine, but the geopolitical climate is far from favorable and could deteriorate further.

Conflict
France

UkraineAlert

Nov 26, 2019

How to make Ukraine ten times better

By Diane Francis

“Ukraine is a wonderful country and could be ten times better. But to achieve this depends not on Russia, or anyone, but on Ukrainian leadership and on stopping corruption,” said Adnan Kivan.

Corruption
Democratic Transitions