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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

Apr 10, 2023

Russian nukes in Belarus: Putin’s creeping annexation continues

By Hanna Liubakova

Putin’s plan to place nukes in Belarus has been widely interpreted as as an escalation in his ongoing nuclear saber-rattling tactics but it will also greatly strengthen the Russian dictator’s grip over the neighboring country.

Belarus
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 8, 2023

Human wave tactics are demoralizing the Russian army in Ukraine

By Olivia Yanchik

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has not gone according to plan but he still hopes to win a long war of attrition. However, Russia’s reliance on human wave tactics risks undermining morale within his invading army, writes Olivia Yanchik.

Conflict
Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Apr 6, 2023

NATO poses a threat to Russian imperialism not Russian security

By Peter Dickinson

Russia’s passive acceptance of neighboring Finland’s NATO membership raises serious questions over the Kremlin’s efforts to portray the invasion of Ukraine as a response to NATO expansion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Apr 6, 2023

Anti-war Russians struggle to be heard

By Christopher Isajiw

The Kremlin has worked hard to create the impression of overwhelming Russian public support for the invasion of Ukraine but anti-war sentiment may become more visible if Putin’s army suffers further battlefield defeats, writes Christopher Isajiw.

Civil Society
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2023

Russia’s Wagner Group is a feature not a bug of the Putin regime

By Allen Maggard

Russian private paramilitaries like the Wagner Group are a symptom of the institutionalized corruption at the heart of Putin’s regime and not just another instrument in Russia’s hybrid warfare toolbox, writes Allen Maggard.

Conflict
Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2023

How to keep Western tech out of Russian weapons

By Aleksander Cwalina

The Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center convened a panel of experts for a virtual event in March to discuss how to prevent the use of Western technologies in Russian weapons, reports Aleksander Cwalina.

Arms Control
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 3, 2023

Pressuring Ukraine into a premature peace would only encourage Putin

By Andriy Zagorodnyuk

Efforts to pressure Ukraine into accepting a land-for-peace deal in order to end the war misunderstand Putin’s imperial ambitions and will only encourage further Russian aggression, writes Andriy Zagorodnyuk.

Conflict
Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

Mar 30, 2023

Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling is a sign of dangerous Russian desperation

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin’s latest bout of nuclear saber-rattling is a clear indication of Russia’s growing desperation as the invasion of Ukraine continues to unravel amid mounting military losses, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Mar 30, 2023

Russia faces long economic decline as isolated Putin turns to China

By Diane Francis

With most avenues for Western partnership indefinitely closed and Russian economic dependency on China growing rapidly, Putin’s talk of “economic sovereignty” is starting to sound very hollow, writes Diane Francis.

China
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 29, 2023

Putin’s plan for a new Russian Empire includes both Ukraine and Belarus

By Taras Kuzio

A leaked document detailing Russia’s plans to absorb Belarus highlights the scale of Vladimir Putin’s imperial ambitions and provides insights into the true objectives behind the invasion of Ukraine, writes Taras Kuzio.

Belarus
Conflict

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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

Aug 6, 2019

The case against parliamentary immunity in Ukraine

By Manfred Richter and Miriam Kosmehl

In Ukraine, abolishing parliamentary immunity is a popular notion, because the Verkhovna Rada is one of the least-trusted institutions. Traditionally, some of Ukraine’s lawmakers find a seat in the Rada attractive because they seek protection from prosecution while pursuing their individual interests.

Corruption
Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Aug 1, 2019

The most outrageous case this summer that no one has heard of

By Olga Tokariuk

Misinformation, disinformation, and outright fakes played a role in assembling the case, which should be seen as another chapter in Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine.

Disinformation
Italy

UkraineAlert

Jul 31, 2019

Nine names to watch in Ukraine’s next parliament

By Melinda Haring

Five political parties will enter the next parliament, and four of the five support a Western path for Ukraine. But will the new parliament be more or less reform minded than the previous one?

Elections
Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2019

Three easy wins for Ukraine

By Andreas Umland

Now that Ukraine’s elections have passed, few would disagree that numerous new laws, resolutions, and policies need to be implemented to make the state function better.

Elections
Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2019

A plan to transform Ukraine’s notoriously bad parliament

By Yuri Polakiwsky

Passing such legislation in the early days of a new parliament would be a monumental achievement

Corruption
Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 26, 2019

His star is on the rise

By Melinda Haring

Now, Oleksiy Honcharuk may be the next prime minister of Ukraine.

Elections
Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 25, 2019

How Russians make and hide their dirty money abroad, and what can be done to stop it

By Oleh Havrylyshyn

Most readers will not be surprised by the message of Anders Åslund’s new book Russia’s Crony Capitalism—Russia has evolved into a kleptocracy based on a combination of state capitalism and market principles—but they may be shocked by the sheer scale of wealth concentration in the hands of the privileged few, in the tens and hundreds […]

Corruption
Financial Regulation

UkraineAlert

Jul 25, 2019

The company you keep

By Andreas Umland

This year’s presidential and parliamentary elections cleaned house and swept out many of the old dinosaurs. But will these new faces make any difference in the way the country runs?

Political Reform
Rule of Law

UkraineAlert

Jul 25, 2019

Reagan made history, and Zelenskyy can too. Here’s how.

By Michael Yurkovich

Zelenskyy would be wise to follow Reagan’s example and be equally bold and decisive in his efforts to improve the lives of ordinary Ukrainians and bring Ukraine to its rightful place in the world.

Democratic Transitions
Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Jul 23, 2019

A unique chance for change 

By Anders Åslund

Ukraine finally has a parliament no longer dominated by businessmen. This offers a unique chance to establish rule of law and break up the oligarchic system.

Fiscal and Structural Reform
Political Reform