UkraineAlert

UkraineAlert

UkraineAlert is a comprehensive online publication that provides regular news and analysis on developments in Ukraine’s politics, economy, civil society, and culture. UkraineAlert sources analysis and commentary from a wide-array of thought-leaders, politicians, experts, and activists from Ukraine and the global community. UkraineAlert has become a major publication in Ukraine’s news landscape and has established itself not only through its quality of content but also significant partnerships with English, Ukrainian, and Russian-language media through the country.

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

Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

UkraineAlert Sep 3, 2026

Putin cannot defeat NATO but he could divide and discredit the alliance

By Peter Dickinson

If Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attack NATO, his goal will be to divide and discredit the alliance rather than actually defeating it, writes Peter Dickinson.
Conflict Defense Policy
Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

UkraineAlert Aug 27, 2026

Ukrainians are not superheroes with endless powers of resilience

By Lauren Van Metre, Elena Davlikanova

By celebrating Ukrainian resilience as an almost superhuman quality, the international community risks obscuring the much less glamorous reality that Ukrainians are actually ordinary people who have endured extraordinary violence for far too long, write Lauren Van Metre and Elena Davlikanova.
Civil Society Conflict
Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

UkraineAlert Aug 25, 2026

A cultural renaissance is reshaping national identity in wartime Ukraine

By Davis Richardson

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is fueling a defiant cultural outpouring that is redefining and strengthening Ukrainian national identity in ways that challenge centuries of Kremlin imperialism, writes Davis Richardson.
Civil Society Conflict

Latest analysis

UkraineAlert

Mar 12, 2020

Russian assassinations send chilling message of impunity

By Doug Klain

Kremlin-linked assassinations are being exposed on a regular basis across Europe. Is this a sign of Russian sloppiness, or does Moscow want the world to now that it acts with impunity on the global stage?

Non-Traditional Threats Russia

UkraineAlert

Mar 10, 2020

Coronavirus crisis: Ukraine needs IMF support not political purges

By Anders Åslund

President Zelenskyy's sudden purge of his reformist cabinet has shaken confidence in the Ukrainian economy at a time when global markets are facing a mounting coronavirus crisis – could an IMF deal be the solution?

Coronavirus International Financial Institutions

UkraineAlert

Mar 10, 2020

Water for peace: Ukraine tests public opinion on a very dangerous deal

By Mykola Vorobiov

A number of politicians from President Zelenskyy's ruling party have recently spoken out in support of renewing water supplies to Russian-occupied Crimea. Is Zelenskyy preparing public opinion for a grand bargain to secure peace in eastern Ukraine?

Conflict Energy & Environment

UkraineAlert

Mar 9, 2020

MH17 court case: Putin’s Ukraine war goes on trial

By Yaroslav Dovgopol

This week a court in the Netherlands begins hearing the case against three Russians and one Ukrainian charged with involvement in the 2014 downing of flight MH17. In reality, Putin's entire Ukraine war is on trial.

Conflict Russia

UkraineAlert

Mar 5, 2020

Ukraine’s new government must act fast or face failure

By Oleh Havrylyshyn and Basil Kalymon

The window of opportunity for reform may already be closing in today's Ukraine and President Zelenskyy's newly appointed cabinet of ministers will have to move fast in order to avoid missing their historic chance.

Democratic Transitions Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Mar 5, 2020

Ukraine’s novice president is in serious trouble already

By Alexander J. Motyl

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just replaced most of his cabinet, including his prime minister. His office will spin this as a sign of renewal. In fact, it’s an indication that Zelenskyy is in serious trouble.

Democratic Transitions Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Mar 5, 2020

Zelenskyy changes course with government reshuffle

By Peter Dickinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a radical shake-up of his government just six months after it started work. New faces are out and experienced figures are in. What will this mean for the country's future trajectory and hopes for change?

Democratic Transitions Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Mar 4, 2020

Ze end?

By Melinda Haring

What’s even clearer is that the tragedy of Ukraine’s politics goes on. And on. Everyone knows how to fix Ukraine, but no one actually does it.

Democratic Transitions Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Mar 3, 2020

Post-Merkel Germany: What can Ukraine expect?

By Mattia Nelles

The race is on to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's political leader, with three candidates competing in a CDU party leadership contest. What could the outcome mean for German policy towards Ukraine and Russia?

Germany Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Mar 3, 2020

Germany and Poland compete for Ukrainian migrant workers

By Alexander Khrebet

New German labor laws introduced in March 2020 make it easier for Ukrainians to be employed in the country. This is sparking fears in Ukraine—and Poland—that we may soon see a new wave of Ukrainian economic migration.

Germany Migration
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
Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

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
Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

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
Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

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

Sep 26, 2019

Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

By Melinda Haring

Many of the names in the Ukraine controversy are new to general readers, so we attempt to answer a few basic questions. If you have others, please drop us a line on Twitter.

Democratic Transitions Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Sep 26, 2019

Gontareva: “Too many have sacrificed and died to let oligarchs run the country again.”

By Diane Francis

Support for the National Bank of Ukraine and Gontareva from the West has been overwhelming, but if Zelenskyy cannot take on Kolomoisky, then his landmark election and reform agenda will be added to the trash heap of failed Ukrainian presidents and support for the country will erode.

Civil Society Corruption

UkraineAlert

Sep 24, 2019

What’s at stake with the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting

By Paul Grod

Ukraine is at risk of coming to the negotiation table with a weak hand, unless the United States throws its full support behind it and encourages Europe to do the same.

Conflict Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Sep 24, 2019

Culture wars, Odesa style

By Konstantin Akinsha

Roytburd’s case is important for many reasons, but first, it unites politicians from different camps. He is supported by both top Poroshenko and Zelenskyy people.

Civil Society Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Sep 23, 2019

The Kremlin is betting we will forget these names

By Vitalii Rybak

The release of prisoners was a big win, but activists worry that those who remain behind will be forgotten.

Conflict Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Sep 23, 2019

Ukraine’s place in the geopolitical puzzle is shifting. That was the point.

By Maksym Panchenko

We don’t know what Zelenskyy gave up to get the prisoners back, but it probably wasn’t small. Ukrainian detainees have been one of Putin’s major pressure points on Ukraine for five plus years.

Conflict Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Sep 19, 2019

How to lose friends and allies

By Diane Francis

If Kolomoisky is not renounced and investigated, the world will turn its back on Ukraine. But the Russians and oligarchs won’t.

Corruption Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Sep 18, 2019

The promise and peril of Ukraine’s borders

By Ruslan Minich

Many Ukrainians work abroad, and Ukraine’s western regions feel the labor shortage most acutely.

Economy & Business Migration

UkraineAlert

Sep 18, 2019

What holds Ukraine back

By Yuri Polakiwsky

It’s time for prison terms and the assertion of the rule of law. It also is time to draw the proverbial line in the sand, that the corrupt oligarchical practices in the economy, in politics, and in greater Ukrainian society will no longer be tolerated.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Sep 18, 2019

More haste, less speed?

By Bohdan Nahaylo

The focus needs to be broadened to include the entire range of oligarchs and not simply keep the spotlight on Kolomoisky.

Democratic Transitions Political Reform
Load More