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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

Jun 18, 2026

Putin’s obsession with ‘denazifying’ Ukraine makes peace impossible

By Peter Dickinson

Putin’s obsession with “denazifying” Ukraine makes a mockery of efforts to portray the Russian invasion as a mere land grab and helps explain why there has been no meaningful progress toward peace despite more than a year of US-led efforts, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jun 18, 2026

Ukrainian drones are cutting Russian logistics and reshaping the battlefield

By David Kirichenko

In recent months, Ukraine has dramatically expanded the use of mid-range drones to disrupt Russian logistics behind the front lines and shape the battlefield for future offensive operations, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jun 18, 2026

Ukraine begins EU membership talks amid skepticism over associate option

By Andreas Umland

Ukraine officially opened membership talks with the ‌European Union this week in a move hailed by Ukrainian officials as “a Rubicon” moment for the war-torn country. While this is welcome news for Kyiv, it remains unclear how long it could still take to actually join the EU, writes Andreas Umland.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Jun 16, 2026

Russia escalates war on Ukrainian heritage and national identity

By Mercedes Sapuppo

Russia this week bombed one of the most sacred religious sites in Ukraine, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, marking the latest escalation in a Kremlin campaign to target the symbols of Ukrainian heritage and national identity, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jun 11, 2026

Putin can no longer shield ordinary Russians from the war he unleashed

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on St. Petersburg provided arguably the most visible indication to date that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion is not going according to plan, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2026

Ukrainian civilians face new threat from Russia’s upgraded jet drones

By David Kirichenko

Russia has reportedly begun deploying a new generation of jet-powered strike drones against Ukrainian targets in recent weeks as the Kremlin seeks to counter the growing effectiveness of Ukraine’s interceptor drones, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2026

Countries across Russia’s former empire are reclaiming place names to assert identity

By Joseph Epstein

Ukraine's campaign to strip Soviet and Russian imperial place names from the country’s towns and cities is not a reaction to the current war so much as the leading edge of a region-wide rejection of Moscow's cartography, writes Joseph Epstein.

Central Asia Civil Society

UkraineAlert

Jun 8, 2026

The Ukraine Support Act sends a strong signal even if it won’t send weapons

By Leslie Shedd

As momentum in the Russia-Ukraine War shifts in Kyiv’s favor, the US Congress took a tentative step last week toward rewarding Ukraine’s progress with much-needed weapons for their troops and support for the country, writes Leslie Shedd.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2026

Ukraine just showed the whole world that Putin is losing control of the war

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's audacious drone strike on St. Petersburg as the Russian city hosted a flagship international economic forum known as "Putin's Davos" sent a clear signal to global audiences that the Kremlin dictator is losing control of the war, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2026

Europe cannot afford to leave Ukraine trapped in the geopolitical grey zone

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Europe cannot afford to leave Ukraine stuck in the geopolitical grey zone as this uncertainty fuels Russia's invasion and feeds Putin's dreams of a new Russian Empire, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Drones

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.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Oct 24, 2019

Ukraine’s new parliament is moving fast but is it getting anywhere?

By Melinda Haring

Ukraine’s new parliament has been in session for more than fifty days and it’s been operating at a frantic pace, so we’ve culled together a list of the best and worst based on conversations with MPs, judges, attorneys, economists, and other experts.

Civil Society Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 24, 2019

Is Ukraine’s new judicial reform a step forward?

By Olena Halushka and Halyna Chyzhyk

Ukraine’s new judicial reform is not ideal but urgent and long-awaited.

Civil Society Corruption

UkraineAlert

Oct 22, 2019

The real cost of Russian gas

By Evgeniia Chirikova

As a result of the Nord Stream 2 project, Europeans will get more climate-friendly gas and Russians will choke on coal dust.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Oil and Gas

UkraineAlert

Oct 22, 2019

Is Europe giving up on Ukraine?

By Mark Temnycky

Some European leaders seem to want a new approach with Ukraine.

Political Reform

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Oct 21, 2019

Invisible in an invisible war

By Lauren Van Metre and Steven Steiner

Despite the nod to the critical role women play in the war with Russia, representatives of the Ukraine Women’s Veterans Movement note that discrimination has increased.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2019

Kyiv not Kiev: Why spelling matters in Ukraine’s quest for an independent identity

By Peter Dickinson

A number of global heavyweights have recently adopted the Ukrainian-language derived “Kyiv” as their official spelling for the country’s capital city, replacing the Russian-rooted “Kiev.”

Democratic Transitions Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Oct 17, 2019

The seasoning of President Zelenskyy

By Bohdan Nahaylo

It appears that the well-meaning, if initially inexperienced and idealistic, Zelenskyy, unconventional and not entirely predictable, has been forced to learn this through the school of hard knocks.

Crisis Management Elections

UkraineAlert

Oct 16, 2019

Servant of the people or servant of the oligarchs?

By Diane Francis

The president’s response is appropriate in a country with an operating rule of law. But in Ukraine, with an unreformed judiciary, this is a complete cop out.

Financial Regulation Fiscal and Structural Reform

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Oct 11, 2019

Seven takeaways from Zelenskyy’s marathon press conference (and one surprise) 

By Iryna Matviyishyn

At the press conference, Zelenskyy said he was ready to “sit down and talk” with Kolomoisky.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 11, 2019

Ukraine’s $50 billion challenge

By Andy Hunder

The key concerns from business are not new. The rule of law, fair justice, macroeconomic stability, a predictable tax policy, secure investment, and property rights, including intellectual property rights, top their lists.

Fiscal and Structural Reform International Financial Institutions