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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

Dec 21, 2015

Nord Stream 2 Makes No Sense and Must Be Stopped

By Anders Åslund

Europe is saturated with energy and demand falls steadily, as Europe saves energy. From 2004 to 2014, the primary energy consumption in the European Union declined by 12 percent and its consumption of natural gas fell by 21 percent. Yet last June, Russia’s state-controlled natural gas corporation Gazprom announced its intention to build Nord Stream […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 21, 2015

The Kremlin’s Dangerous New Threat in Ukraine

By Ihor Kozak

Fighting continues to gradually intensify in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin-backed militants are now using heavy weapons, including tanks, artillery, and ferocious Grad rocket systems, sporadically. Moscow’s rationale behind this latest escalation is to achieve a frozen conflict by gradually sabotaging the execution of the Minsk II ceasefire agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin likely realizes that […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 21, 2015

“From Russia with Cash”: Dirty Money Unchecked in London

By Amanda Abrams

The numbers are staggering. Annually, $1 trillion is stolen by corrupt officials from countries around the globe. That money needs to be spent, or laundered, and much of it goes into big anonymous real estate deals in the United Kingdom, which is seeing £1 billion in unrecorded capital inflows per month. The main source of […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 17, 2015

The Revolutionary Path to Reform for Ukraine’s National Police

By Melinda Haring

Ukrainians are growing increasingly impatient with Ukraine’s lack of reforms. But the country’s police reforms are working, says Khatia Dekanoidze, the newly-appointed chief of the Ukrainian National Police. How does she know? “The number one tool to…measure effectiveness of police is trust,” Dekanoidze said on December 15 at an Atlantic Council event. Dekanoidze joined John […]

The Caucasus Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 16, 2015

“Ukraine is a work in progress by Putin,” Says General Wesley Clark

By Diane Francis

Retired US Army General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, has campaigned since 2014 to convince Western governments to provide lethal aid to Ukraine to fend off Russia’s occupation of 9 percent of its territory. In a wide-ranging interview, he talked about why this hasn’t happened and about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 16, 2015

Should Ukraine Forget Its History?

By Alexander J. Motyl

On November 25, 2010, while on a state visit to Kyiv, Israel’s President Shimon Peres stated that, “If Ukrainians were to ask me for advice, I would say: forget history.” Coming from the president of a country steeped in history, the comment was at first glance bizarre. Directed at a country embroiled in seemingly endless […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2015

Thank You, George!

By Kateryna Smagliy

In his 2011 essay, “My Philanthropy,” George Soros described his approach to charitable giving. “I relish confronting harsh reality, and I am drawn to tackling seemingly insoluble problems,” he wrote. Indeed, it is with a consistent determination, generosity, and unwavering faith in Ukraine’s potential that Soros established the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) twenty-five years ago […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2015

Memo to Presidential Candidates: The Putin Problem Isn’t Going Away

By Terrell Jermaine Starr

Foreign-policy challenges will keep the next commander-in-chief up late. Analysts focus on the threat that Islamic State poses to the United States and its allies, but the Putin problem is unlikely to fade. As the candidates gear up for the next round of debates—slated for December 15 and 19—it’s time to take stock of the […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2015

Battle for Donetsk Airport: Haunting Documentary Captures Ukrainian Resilience

By Diane Francis

A haunting message from a Ukrainian soldier closes “Airport Donetsk,” a documentary about the 200-day siege that ended in January 2015. “I can’t sleep at all,” said the downcast survivor. “I see them…I see my guys in my dreams.” He was one of a dozen Ukrainians and Russians interviewed for this film by Radio Free […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 10, 2015

Russian Truckers Take to the Roads to Protest Tax, Declining Living Standards

By Sergey Aleksashenko

Hundreds of long-haul truck drivers have blocked Russia’s roads to protest a new national toll. The protest may cause changes in Russia’s political landscape and economic policy in the long-run, though its impact will be limited in the short-term. Even still, the protests are significant because they demonstrate an awakening of the Russian population and […]

Russia

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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

Sep 17, 2019

Slow down already

By Melinda Haring

Zelenskyy is consolidating power. Ukraine is rapidly switching to a presidential republic from the parliamentary-presidential system its constitution prescribes. And the worst part is that there’s little to stop him.

Civil Society Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Sep 10, 2019

What Zelenskyy’s perfect picture is missing

By Olena Prokopenko

The future of Ukraine’s key reform driver, its vibrant civil society, is missing and seriously threatened both by internal and external challenges.

Civil Society Elections

UkraineAlert

Sep 10, 2019

Ukraine’s libertarian revolution

By James Brooke

Many Ukrainian free marketers are sulking in the sidelines because they misread the Zelenskyy movement last spring.

Elections Macroeconomics

UkraineAlert

Sep 10, 2019

Removing the stigma: Ukraine launches suicide prevention hotline for veterans

By Peter Dickinson

Mental health issues remain largely taboo in Ukrainian society, where the prevalence of traditional machismo culture has long fueled a “boys don’t cry” mentality

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Sep 8, 2019

It was worth it

By Alexander Khrebet

The whole world watched his first steps in this direction today on the tarmac of the Boryspil airport, and this success may give the new president greater confidence as well.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Sep 8, 2019

What price did Ukraine pay for prisoner exchange?

By Iryna Matviyishyn

The long-awaited return brought tears not only to the eyes of their loved ones but also to many Ukrainians who rooted for their liberation.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Sep 8, 2019

Q&A: What does Ukraine-Russia prisoner swap mean?

By Melinda Haring

"Putin may hope that Western praise for his 'humanitarian gesture' will reduce the pressure on Moscow to end its undeclared war in the Donbas and place the onus on Zelenskyy to make all of the concessions."

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Sep 6, 2019

The saga of David and Goliath on the outskirts of Kyiv

By Yuri Polakiwsky

As a newly elected president and parliament have been sworn in, and a new government formed, the new political class must be ready to radically transform the values of Ukraine’s business culture.

Economy & Business Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Sep 4, 2019

Danger ahead

By Willem Aldershoff

Although every Ukrainian understandably wishes a quick end to the war in the Donbas and a lasting settlement of the conflict, Ukraine is strongly advised to approach any Minsk Summit with the greatest care.

European Union International Norms

UkraineAlert

Sep 3, 2019

So far, so good

By Oleh Havrylyshyn and Basil Kalymon

The Zelenskyy administration’s very positive statements, if translated into policies, would open a new era of economic growth and opportunity for Ukraine.

Macroeconomics Political Reform