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

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

UkraineAlert
Feb 28, 2025

Putin uses NATO as an excuse for his war against Ukrainian statehood

By
Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin claims his invasion of Ukraine was provoked by NATO expansion but his efforts to eradicate Ukrainian identity in areas under Russian occupation and his insistence regarding Ukraine’s complete disarmament reveal his ultimate goal of erasing Ukrainian statehood entirely, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society
Conflict

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

UkraineAlert
Mar 4, 2025

Europe has the resources to defend itself and back Ukraine against Russia

By
Agnia Grigas

By leveraging its economic strength, demographic advantage, and military potential, Europe can confidently counter Putin’s imperial ambitions and provide Ukraine with the support it needs to resist Russia’s invasion, writes Agnia Grigas.

Conflict
Defense Industry

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

UkraineAlert
Feb 27, 2025

The Finlandization fallacy: Ukrainian neutrality will not stop Putin’s Russia

By
Brian Mefford

Donald Trump seeks to broker a peace deal with Vladimir Putin but any attempt to impose neutrality on Ukraine could set the stage for further Russian aggression, writes Brian Mefford.

Conflict
European Union

Latest analysis

UkraineAlert

Mar 25, 2025

Ukraine’s growing military strength is an underrated factor in peace talks

By
Serhii Kuzan

Any discussion on the future course of the war against Russia and the terms of any peace deal must take into account the fact that Ukraine is a now major military power in its own right, writes Serhii Kuzan.

Conflict
Defense Industry


UkraineAlert

Mar 20, 2025

Putin is ruthlessly erasing Ukrainian identity in Russian-occupied Ukraine

By
Peter Dickinson

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is pursuing policies in Russian-occupied Ukraine that almost certainly meet the definition of ethnic cleansing and may qualify as genocide, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society
Conflict


UkraineAlert

Mar 20, 2025

Silencing Voice of America will only strengthen autocrats around the world

By
Mercedes Sapuppo

United States President Donald Trump’s decision to shut down US-funded media outlets including Voice of America will boost authoritarian regimes around the world, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Democratic Transitions
Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Mar 20, 2025

Trump’s energy sector ceasefire could be good news for Putin’s war machine

By
David Kirichenko 

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has backed US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a partial ceasefire on energy sector attacks, but this may be a strategic step rather than an indication of his readiness to end the invasion of Ukraine, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict
Drones


UkraineAlert

Mar 18, 2025

Putin backs Trump’s partial ceasefire but insists Ukraine must be disarmed

By
Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin has backed Donald Trump’s call for a partial ceasefire but his insistence on disarming Ukraine reveals his continued determination to complete the conquest of the country, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Mar 18, 2025

Britain takes the lead as Europe seeks to boost support for Ukraine

By
Alina Hrytsenko

With the future of US support for Ukraine in doubt, Britain is leading European efforts to bolster the Ukrainian war effort and deny Putin an historic victory that would place the whole of Europe in peril, writes Alina Hrytsenko.

Conflict
Defense Industry


UkraineAlert

Mar 13, 2025

Ukraine’s innovative defense tech sector is the country’s trump card

By
David Kirichenko

From the Black Sea to deep inside Russia, Ukraine’s innovative and rapidly expanding defense tech sector is proving to be the country’s secret weapon as it fights for survival against one of the world’s strongest military superpowers, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict
Defense Industry


UkraineAlert

Mar 13, 2025

Vladimir Putin does not want peace. He wants to subjugate Ukraine.

By
Mykola Bielieskov

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s evasive response to US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal underlines his commitment to continue with an invasion that aims to extinguish Ukraine as a state and nation, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict
Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Mar 11, 2025

Pressure is now on Putin as Ukraine agrees to Trump’s ceasefire proposal

By
Peter Dickinson

Ukraine has agreed to a United States proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, representing a potentially significant breakthrough in US-led diplomatic efforts to end the largest European conflict since World War II, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Economic Sanctions


UkraineAlert

Mar 6, 2025

Is Trump’s Russia reset overshadowing the Ukraine peace process?

By
Katherine Spencer

US President Donald Trump campaigned last year on a promise to end the Russia-Ukraine War. His efforts to achieve this goal are now rapidly transforming the geopolitical landscape, writes Katherine Spencer.

Conflict
Freedom and Prosperity

Load More

spotlight

Resilience in the face of adversity

Ukraine’s transformation

Ukraine has moved tentatively toward an open society and market economy since independence. The country has held several democratic elections and made halting progress in addressing corruption and state control in its economy. Since the 2014 Maidan Revolution, Ukraine has undertaken significant governance and economic reform and moved decisively toward a Europe-Atlantic foreign policy. Since 2022, Ukraine has resiliently continued to advance some reforms despite fighting for its very existence against the full-scale Russian invasion.

Learn more about Ukraine

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

UkraineAlert
Dec 5, 2024

Ukraine’s entrepreneurial class can drive the country’s economic recovery

The Ukrainian SME sector has demonstrated remarkable wartime resilience and is poised to be at the forefront of efforts to create a modern, innovative, postwar economy, writes Anton Waschuk.

Read More

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

UkraineAlert
Oct 1, 2024

Ukraine needs international investors to maintain defense tech momentum

By
Mykhailo Fedorov

Ukraine’s rapidly expanding defense tech sector can play a game-changing role in the war against Russia but Ukrainian companies need international investment, writes Ukraine’s Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

Artificial Intelligence
Conflict

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

UkraineAlert
Jun 13, 2024

Ukraine officially embraces English as historic westward pivot continues

By
Oleksiy Goncharenko

By officially embracing English, Ukrainians aim to support their country’s historic pivot away from Moscow and return to the European community of nations, writes Oleksiy Goncharenko.

Civil Society
Conflict

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.

Learn more

Follow us on social media
and support our work

support our work

Content

UkraineAlert

Nov 30, 2018

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

By John E. Herbst

The past several days have been historic ones in Ukraine’s development as a sovereign and democratic nation. Moscow’s unprovoked attack on and seizure of three Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea on November 25 began this process. This attack represents a serious escalation of Kremlin aggression because it was done openly by regular Russian military […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 30, 2018

What Would a Tymoshenko Presidency Mean?

By Andreas Umland

Many Western observers would like to see a change in Ukrainian leadership following the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections. Some would prefer to see a young MP from parliament’s Euro-Optimists group become president; others hope the country’s next leader will come from one of Ukraine’s new parties, such as Democratic Alliance or Power of the […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 29, 2018

How to Put Putin in His Place

By Michael Carpenter

Russia’s act of aggression against Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea on Sunday should not be dismissed as an isolated incident in its four-and-a-half year old war against Ukraine. This pre-meditated attack is part of a broader effort by Moscow to take full control of the Kerch Strait—a strategic chokepoint that connects Russia to Crimea […]

NATO Russia

UkraineAlert

Nov 29, 2018

How Ukraine Can Begin to Catch Up with the EU

By Ivan Miklos and Pavlo Kukhta

Two major risks are clouding Ukraine’s economy and holding back investment and economic growth. One of them is politics. In 2019, the country will hold both presidential and parliamentary elections, in the spring and autumn, respectively. These will be the second elections since the 2014 revolution, and their outcomes will determine whether the country continues […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 28, 2018

Russia Openly Attacks Ukraine. Why Now?

By Ruslan Minich and Vitalii Rybak

On November 25, Russia opened fire on three Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait and then seized them. On November 26, Kyiv imposed martial law in ten regions for thirty days as a response to the attack. Contrary to Russia’s previous military presence in Crimea or its military support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, both […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 28, 2018

Explainer: What Just Happened Between Russia and Ukraine, and Why Does It Matter?

By Melinda Haring and Alexander Vershbow

On November 25, Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels as they were preparing to enter the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait. The Russian Coast Guard rammed a Ukrainian tugboat and fired on the three Ukrainian ships, injuring up to six crewmembers. Twenty-three Ukrainian sailors are now in Russian custody. This is the first […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 27, 2018

Why Martial Law Cheapens Ukraine’s Democracy

By Mattia Nelles

On November 25, Russia attacked Ukraine again. It was a vivid reminder that Ukraine is at war and the situation can escalate at any time. Three Ukrainian vessels were shot at and seized by Russian maritime forces. Twenty-three Ukrainian sailors are now in Russian captivity. It’s the first time Russia has openly attacked Ukrainian forces.

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 26, 2018

Russia’s Provocations in the Sea of Azov: What Should Be Done?

By Stephen Blank

On November 25 Russian vessels blocked Ukrainian ones from entering the Sea of Azov, fired on Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea, rammed some of those ships, seized three Ukrainian ships, and wounded six in these exchanges. Russia also dispatched helicopters to the area to maintain surveillance and fire capability over any approaching Ukrainian vessels. […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 26, 2018

Q&A: Russia Attacks Ukraine Again. How Should Ukraine, NATO, and the West Respond?

By Melinda Haring

On November 25, Russia fired on the Ukrainian Navy in the Black Sea, injuring at least two Ukrainian sailors. Many experts have warned that Russia is opening a new front in its forgotten war in Ukraine on the Black and Azov Seas, illegally boarding commercial Ukrainian vessels and increasing its military presence to about 120 […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 24, 2018

An American Tradition that Ukraine Doesn’t Need

By Nataliya Popovych

It’s Black Friday in Kyiv, Ukraine, and retail is booming. Abundance is everywhere. Like everywhere else, Black Friday sales are plastered on store windows around town. For Ukrainians, this reality comes in shocking contrast with the events of 1933 eighty-five years ago. Ukraine was breadless and in crisis. Corpses littered the streets in central and […]

Russia Ukraine
Load More