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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

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

UkraineAlert

Aug 14, 2026

Russian atrocities in Ukraine are escalating and demand urgent action

By Kristina Hook

When leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin embrace an ideology of national group destruction, history offers little reason to believe they can be persuaded to abandon that objective, writes Kristina Hook.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 13, 2026

Russia’s escalating bombardment of Ukraine is not ‘retaliation’

By Zahar Hryniv

Russia is attempting to portray the bombardment of Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure as "retaliation" for Ukraine's own efforts to defend itself against Putin's invasion. This "retaliation" narrative is dangerously misleading, writes Zahar Hryniv.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Aug 11, 2026

Western weakness is encouraging Putin to test NATO

By Peter Dickinson

As Moscow's hybrid war against NATO continues to escalate, the alliance's reluctance to impose any additional costs on the Kremlin will only only embolden Putin and fuel Russian perceptions of Western weakness, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Aug 6, 2026

Ukraine cannot defeat Putin’s ballistic blitz by defensive measures alone

By Mykola Bielieskov

Putin is ramping up Russian ballistic missile production and clearly intends to bomb Ukraine into submission. If he is not stopped, the Ukrainian civilian population will pay a terrible price and Kyiv may be pushed toward capitulation, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Defense Technologies European Union

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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

Apr 6, 2020

Коронавирусный кризис открывает возможность закончить войну в Украине

By Уильям Б. Тейлор, Стивен Пайфер & Джон Хербст

Эта статья впервые была опубликована на NPR Все три автора — бывшие послы США в Украине. Уильям Б. Тейлор — вице-президент по вопросам стратегической стабильности и безопасности в Американском институте мира (United States Institute of Peace). Стивен Пайфер — старший научный сотрудник программы им. Уильяма Перри в Стэнфордском университете. Джон Хербст — директор Евразийского центра “Атлантического совета”. На фоне […]

Conflict Coronavirus

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2020

Ukraine adds political drama to coronavirus crisis

By Brian Mefford

Ukraine experienced a month of political turbulence in March 2020 as the country grappled with cabinet reshuffles amid an escalating coronavirus crisis. Who emerged as the political winners and losers?

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2020

Coronavirus crisis could spark authoritarian revival

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

The Western world has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus crisis while non-democratic regimes claim to have acted more decisively. Will the pandemic lead to greater support for authoritarian approaches?

Coronavirus Eastern Europe

UkraineAlert

Apr 2, 2020

Ukrainian local authorities move online to beat coronavirus lockdown

By Michael Druckman

With Ukraine under coronavirus lockdown, legislation has been rushed through allowing local authorities to operate online. The move is being greeted as another step in the right direction for Ukraine's fledgling democracy.

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Apr 2, 2020

Will coronavirus cuts kill off Ukraine’s post-Maidan cultural renaissance?

By Marina Pesenti

Ukraine is preparing major budget cuts to cultural institutions as part of efforts to fund the fight against coronavirus. This threatens to reverse the progress in the cultural sphere achieved since 2014.

Coronavirus Resilience & Society

UkraineAlert

Mar 31, 2020

Zelenskyy resurrects his reformist credentials as coronavirus crisis looms

By Anders Åslund

March 30 was a big day for Ukraine with major changes in parliament that reversed the anti-reform backlash underway in the country since March 4 and provided President Zelenskyy with fresh political momentum as the coronavirus crisis escalates.

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Mar 31, 2020

Q&A: Where is President Zelenskyy leading Ukraine?

By Adair Appleton and Adrian Hoefer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's surprise decision to dismiss his reformist government in early March raised fundamental questions over the future direction of the country. Atlantic Council experts explore what it could mean for Ukraine.

Democratic Transitions Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Mar 30, 2020

Two historic votes for Ukraine

By Iuliia Mendel

In an emergency session as the country grapples with the coronavirus crisis, Ukraine's parliament has voted for two bills that will open the way to new financing from the IMF and other international partners.

Democratic Transitions International Financial Institutions

UkraineAlert

Mar 30, 2020

Coronavirus must not distract the world from Russia’s war in Ukraine

By Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze

The coronavirus crisis is creating unprecedented challenges for the international community, but existing security threats like the Russian attack on Ukraine must not disappear from the diplomatic agenda, argues Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

Conflict Coronavirus

UkraineAlert

Mar 28, 2020

Time for Ukraine to exit Russia’s energy empire

By Bohdan Klid

Energy supplies have helped Russia exert political influence over Ukraine. With Russia's energy sector hit by short-term coronavirus woes and facing long-term decline, now is a good time for Ukraine to reduce dependency.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Russia