Stay Updated

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 24, 2022

The Putin puzzle: Why is the Russian dictator so obsessed with Ukraine?

By Bohdan Vitvitsky

Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his invasion of Ukraine by claiming the country has no right to exist but in reality modern Ukraine enjoys a level of democratic legitimacy that far exceeds his own authoritarian regime.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

May 22, 2022

Centuries of Russian oppression have forged Ukraine’s remarkable resilience

By Pete Shmigel

Centuries of traumatic experience with the horrors of Russian imperialism have shaped today’s Ukraine in ways that may actually contribute to Putin's defeat and help Ukrainians to build a better future for their country.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

May 21, 2022

Appeasement is the worst possible policy for both Ukraine and Russia

By Dennis Soltys

Western advocates of appeasement in Ukraine such as French President Emmanuel Macron fail to appreciate the deep-rooted imperial ambitions underpinning Vladimir Putin's campign to extinguish Ukrainian independence.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2022

Putin’s Black Sea blockade leaves millions facing global famine

By Andriy Zagorodnyuk

Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports is strangling the country’s economy and also threatening to spark a global food security crisis by preventing Ukrainian agricultural exports from reaching international markets.

Conflict Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2022

Disarming Russia’s energy weapon: Ukraine begins electricity exports to Moldova

By Aura Sabadus

Less than two months after synchronizing with the European electricity grid, Ukraine has begun energy exports to neighboring Moldova in a move that is likely to further dent Russia’s grip over the region.

Conflict Energy Markets & Governance

UkraineAlert

May 17, 2022

Vladimir Putin is running out of options to avoid defeat in Ukraine

By Taras Kuzio

Vladimir Putin expected a quick victory in Ukraine but now finds himself facing a catastrophic defeat that will shatter Russia's pretensions to military superpower status while threatening Putin's own authoritarian regime.

Conflict Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

May 16, 2022

Ukraine War Diary: Everyday life is slowly returning to Fortress Kyiv

By Vitaly Sych

Ukraine War Diary: A semblance of normality is returning to life in the capital but Kyiv remains a fortress city where a strong military presence and an absence of children serve as constant reminders that the country is at war.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

May 15, 2022

Will Putin use chemical weapons in Ukraine?

By Ben Connable

Fears are mounting that Vladimir Putin may seek to save his failing Ukraine invasion by deploying chemical weapons, but there are reasons to believe that the Russian army is not capable of biological warfare.

Arms Control Conflict

UkraineAlert

May 15, 2022

Western advocates of appeasement need a crash course in Putinology

By Anders Åslund

The war in Ukraine has exposed the fundamental failure of international audiences to appreciate the true nature of modern Russia. Western advocates of appeasement clearly need a crash course in Putinology.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

May 14, 2022

Ukraine wins Eurovision as European voters show song contest solidarity

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's Eurovision victory is a soft power success story that underlines the country's dominance over Russia on the information front while highlighting the strength of international solidary and support for Ukraine.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

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.

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.

Follow us on social media
and support our work

Content

UkraineAlert

Feb 13, 2020

Nation-building Ukraine marks a year of Orthodox independence

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine has recently marked one year of Orthodox independence. The country's religious landscape has yet to change dramatically, but the significance for Ukraine's nation-building journey cannot be overstated.

Civil Society Russia

UkraineAlert

Feb 13, 2020

Putin forever: Ukraine faces the prospect of endless imperial aggression

By Taras Kuzio

Vladimir Putin's plans to change the Russian Constitution offer a strong indication that he intends to remain in charge of the country for the rest of his life. For Ukraine, this means coming to terms with the reality of endless imperial aggression.

Conflict Russia

UkraineAlert

Feb 13, 2020

World must not forget Putin’s Crimean crime

By Suleiman Mamut

When Vladimir Putin seized Crimea six years ago, he challenged the basic principles of international law. This should make Crimea a vital issue on the international agenda - but the occupied peninsula has long since disappeared from the headlines.

Conflict Non-Traditional Threats

UkraineAlert

Feb 11, 2020

Bohdan out, Yermak in: What next for Ukraine?

By Peter Dickinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired his controversial chief of staff Andriy Bohdan and replaced him with key adviser Andriy Yermak. What will this mean for the future direction of the Zelenskyy presidency?

Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Feb 9, 2020

No new Ukraine without justice for Maidan victims

By Yuri Polakiwsky

Ukraine has made considerable reform progress over the past six years, but until Kyiv offers justice for the dozens of Ukrainians killed during the country's 2014 Revolution of Dignity, many will continue to doubt whether fundamental change is possible.

Democratic Transitions Rule of Law

UkraineAlert

Feb 6, 2020

Impeachment drama gives Ukraine a US brand boost

By Ostap Yarysh

The impeachment of President Trump is now over but the drama has had a profound impact on US-Ukrainian relations and on American public awareness of Ukraine.

Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Feb 6, 2020

Zelenskyy must not miss his chance to change Ukraine

By Anders Åslund

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a huge electoral mandate for change and a solid macroeconomic base to build on - but will he become bogged down in day-to-day corruption like so many of his predecessors?

Corruption Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Feb 4, 2020

International law may yet contain Putin in Ukraine

By Michel Waelbroeck and Willem Aldershoff

Rival interpretations of the 2015 Minsk Protocols have brought Ukraine and Russia to deadlock in negotiations to end the undeclared six-year war between the two nations - but could international law help Ukraine to win the diplomatic argument?

Conflict Russia

UkraineAlert

Feb 4, 2020

US-Ukraine ties after the impeachment drama

By Volodymyr Dubovyk

The Trump impeachment drama has placed enormous strain on US-Ukraine ties but Kyiv continues to rely on American support in its struggle against Russian aggression. How will the US-Ukraine partnership now evolve?

Conflict Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 30, 2020

Сегодня Крым, Россия завтра?

By Melinda Haring

С аннексии Крыма весной 2014 года, Россия изменяла Украинский полуостров на темную дырку человеческих прав и огромная военную базу. Эта худшая ситуация может быть переменены в других местах в России и дальше, предупреждает Мелинда Харинг.

Conflict Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion