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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

Oct 20, 2022

Classical concert captures Ukraine’s defiant response to Russian invasion

By Jacob Heilbrunn

Ukraine's defiant spirit was on display on October 18 at a Kennedy Center concert organized by the Chopivsky Family Foundation and featuring the New Era Orchestra of Kyiv together with celebrated violinist Joshua Bell.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 19, 2022

Winning the peace through democratic progress in post-war Ukraine

By Peter Erben, Gio Kobakhidze

As Ukraine’s army continues to liberate the country from Russian occupation, it is critical that Ukraine’s military success is buttressed by continued democratic progress. Ukraine must not only win the war, but also win the peace.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 18, 2022

Bowing to Putin’s nuclear blackmail will make nuclear war more likely

By Andriy Zagorodnyuk

Giving in to Putin’s nuclear blackmail would not end the war in Ukraine. What it would do is set a disastrous precedent that makes a future nuclear war far more likely while encouraging uncontrolled nuclear proliferation.

Arms Control Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 17, 2022

Ukraine has a Russia problem not a Putin problem

By Taras Kuzio

Ukraine appears poised to defeat Putin's invasion but Russia will continue to pose an existential threat to Ukrainian statehood until Russians learn to accept that Ukraine is a sovereign and independent nation.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 17, 2022

Putin’s blackout blitz: Russia aims to freeze Ukrainians into surrender

By Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti

Russia is seeking to plunge Ukraine into darkness ahead of the winter heating season by destroying the country's energy infrastructure. Ukraine's partners must step in to make sure Ukrainians are not frozen into surrender.

Conflict Energy Markets & Governance

UkraineAlert

Oct 13, 2022

Meet the Ukrainian TV star fundraising millions for the country’s war effort

By Oleksii Antoniuk, Andrew D’Anieri

TV host Serhiy Prytula is being tipped by many as a rising star of Ukrainian politics but for now he is fully occupied in his current role leading crowdfunding efforts for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 12, 2022

No, Russia’s airstrike escalation is not retaliation for the Crimean Bridge

By Razom Advocacy Team

International media coverage depicting Russia's recent airstrike escalation as retaliation for the alleged Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge risks creating false equivalency over Vladimir Putin's war of aggression.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Oct 11, 2022

Russia’s terror tactics: Putin escalates attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin has launched a new phase of his Ukraine invasion and ordered the destruction of the country's civilian infrastructure. Ukraine's Western partners must urgently provide air defense systems to avert disaster.

Conflict Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Oct 11, 2022

Six things you (yes, you!) can do now to help Ukraine

By Melinda Haring

With the winter season fast approaching and Vladimir Putin launching a campaign against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, it is more important than ever to maintain support for Ukraine. Melinda Haring has some ideas.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 9, 2022

Ukraine and Moldova move to disarm Vladimir Putin’s energy weapon

By Aura Sabadus

With the winter heating season now underway, Ukraine and neighboring Moldova both continue to make progress toward reducing dependence on Russian gas and disarming Vladimir Putin's energy weapon.

Conflict European Union

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Content

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

UkraineAlert

Jul 22, 2019

Q&A: Comedian’s party wins big again in Ukraine. Why and what’s next?

By Melinda Haring

Atlantic Council experts and UkraineAlert contributors react to the Ukrainian presidential election.

Elections Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2019

So you got elected president of Ukraine. Now comes the hard part.

By Adrian Karatnycky

If Zelenskyy musters a non-political government of experts in domestic policy and national security, they will significantly increase the chances that his term will have real impact on the living standards and security of the Ukrainian people.

Democratic Transitions Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 17, 2019

If Zelenskyy’s serious about reform, he’ll ditch the cronies

By Diane Francis

Leaders are judged by those closest to them, and Zelenskyy’s mishandling of this matter is destroying his “brand” and will impede his reform agenda.

Elections Fiscal and Structural Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2019

Rise of the Zelennials: Ukraine’s parliamentary elections signal generational shift

By Peter Dickinson

The message is unmistakable: after almost three decades of chronic corruption and repeated false starts, voters want fundamental change and are willing to gamble with the country’s future in order to get it.

Elections Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2019

Ukraine’s most important election is Sunday. Here’s what to expect

By Brian Mefford

As Ukraine enters a new political epoch that features comedians, singers, former presidents, and controversial pro-Russian politicians, the second longest serving prime minister in Ukraine’s history may find a niche with the electorate.

Elections Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2019

The politics of revenge

By Bohdan Nahaylo

This preoccupation with settling scores and seeking to influence the pace and direction of change is an inevitable feature of the major reconfiguration of political forces underway.

Democratic Transitions Political Reform