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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.

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Latest analysis

UkraineAlert

Jan 17, 2019

Trump Doesn’t Have to Quit NATO to Undermine It, Expert Warns

By Melinda Haring

On January 14, the New York Times confirmed that President Donald Trump talked about pulling out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization more than once in 2018. But can the president quit NATO unilaterally?

NATO Russia

UkraineAlert

Jan 16, 2019

Putin’s dream scenario for Ukraine

By Alexander J. Motyl

Ironically, by failing to acknowledge that everything has in fact changed, Ukrainians could wind up with the worst of all possible worlds—a reversal to the status quo ante and a return to Russia’s embrace.

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 16, 2019

Ukraine’s Euromaidan Democrats Have No Shot at the Presidency, but What About Parliament?

By Andreas Umland

Ukraine’s anti-oligarchic forces have finally started the process of forming a broad pro-reform coalition in advance of the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections. On January 11, a congress of various reformist groups announced its support for the presidential candidacy of former Minister of Defense Anatoliy Hrytsenko. While the meeting was largely an event of Hrytsenko’s […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 16, 2019

How Will Ukraine’s Next President View the World? A Look at the Top 5 Candidates

By Mykola Vorobiov

Ukraine’s presidential election season is in full-swing. After the holiday recess, the campaign is getting even more dynamic with about forty candidates who have already declared. While the ratings fluctuate almost daily, the top five remain steady, so it’s time to dig in and start evaluating their various views. Below we’ve analyzed their foreign policy […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 16, 2019

The Best Ukraine Can Hope for with Russia in 2019

By Anders Åslund

Donald Trump has been president of the United States for two years, but it remains uncertain whether he has a Ukraine policy. His administration does, but Trump is famously superficial in his knowledge. Trump has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, hardly said anything negative about Russia, and insisted on the need to cut sanctions […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 11, 2019

Two More Ways to Make Ukraine Independent

By Olga Bielkova

Ukraine’s Orthodox Church just broke with Moscow, and it’s time for us to move farther away from Russia in the energy sector as well. Even though it is an election year, Kyiv must deliver on the country’s two strategic priorities: increasing gas production in Ukraine and jointly operating Ukraine’s transmission system. After all, energy independence […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 10, 2019

Why a Comedian’s Bid for Ukraine’s Presidency Is No Laughing Matter

By Andreas Umland

Most experts have reacted negatively to the announcement that Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy will stand in the presidential election in spring 2019. Indeed, Zelenskiy’s candidacy is problematic for at least three reasons. Still, for all the skepticism, Zelenskiy’s participation in the race may also have a bright side.

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 9, 2019

Ukraine’s 2019 elections may be completely unpredictable but five things are certain

By Brian Mefford

2019 is election year in Ukraine. Ukrainians will select a new president this spring and a new parliament in the fall. Even though the outcome of the presidential race is unpredictable, there are five things about this political cycle that are not. First, no openly pro-Russian candidate can win and this is a major change […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 8, 2019

Dispatch from the road: Ukraine’s most impressive civil society project is where?

By Melinda Haring

One could be forgiven for mistaking thirty-six-year-old Yuriy Fylyuk as just another of the bearded foodie entrepreneurs who dominate Ukraine’s culinary scene. But the soft spoken Fylyuk is far more.  

Civil Society Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 8, 2019

Even Out of Government, Former Finance Minister Danyliuk Has Big Plans for Ukraine

By Melinda Haring

It was June 5 and Ukraine’s ebullient and energetic finance minister was under tremendous strain. The Economist had just reported that forty-three-year-old Oleksandr Danyliuk was about to be sacked after speaking out too many times about corruption at the highest levels. He’d made too many enemies, including the president and prime minister.   But Danyliuk is […]

Russia Ukraine

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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

UkraineAlert

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

UkraineAlert

Oct 9, 2019

Real talk on Kyiv’s talks with Moscow

By Diane Francis

Ukraine must devise its bargaining position, and anticipate Russia’s, or it will be devoured in upcoming talks, left to the mercy of Putin as well as of France and Germany, both co-opted by Putin.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 9, 2019

Mission possible

By Basil Kalymon

The government wants to liberalize the economy and proceed with radical and swift changes.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 9, 2019

Ukraine’s most vulnerable children deserve a passport, too

By Anna Babko

In the non-government controlled territories of Ukraine, 57 percent of children were born without proper birth registration by the Ukrainian authorities and may be unable to qualify for a Ukrainian passport at age 14.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 8, 2019

Did Zelenskyy give in to Moscow? We don’t know yet

By Steven Pifer

Angry crowds took to the streets to denounce the Steinmeier Formula, equating it with capitulation to Moscow. But is it? At this point, not enough is known about details of the agreement—or even if the agreement will hold—to reach a judgment.

Conflict Elections

UkraineAlert

Oct 7, 2019

Coming into her own

By Melinda Haring

“What I’m seeing now is speed over professionalism,” Suprun said. “I think it’s about time Ukraine started being more mature about what it’s doing.”

Civil Society Media

UkraineAlert

Oct 7, 2019

That other Ukraine controversy that just won’t go away

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

Ukraine stands between two conflict resolution formulas: to freeze the Donbas or to try and integrate it.

Conflict Crisis Management