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.

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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

Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

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
Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

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
Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

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

Jul 18, 2021

UKRAINE AT 30: Andriy Shevchenko’s three decades as unofficial ambassador

By Peter Dickinson

No Ukrainian has done more to raise the country's international profile that footballer Andriy Shevchenko, who has been quite simply the most famous Ukrainian in the world since the early years of independence.

Resilience & Society Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2021

Ukraine takes a big step towards judicial reform

By Olena Halushka and Tetiana Shevchuk

Ukraine took a big step towards judicial reform on July 13 when MPs adopted laws that establish credible foundations for the reboot of the country’s deeply compromised legal system.

Civil Society Corruption

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2021

Ukraine’s faltering efforts to privatize state-owned banks

By Mark Savchuk

The Ukrainian government is committed to reducing its estimated 55% stake in the country's banking system by overseeing the privatization of state-owned banks, but progress remains painfully slow.

Economy & Business Financial Regulation

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2021

Naftogaz corporate governance is a national priority for Ukraine

By Andriy Boytsun

In recent months, developments at Ukraine’s national energy company, Naftogaz, have raised concerns over the country's broader post-Maidan drive to reform corporate governance at state-owned enterprises

Corruption Energy Markets & Governance

UkraineAlert

Jul 15, 2021

Is Kazakhstan experiencing the early stages of a democratic awakening?

By Rustam Kypshakbayev

While it is too early to speak of a democratic awakening in Kazakhstan, current trends suggest that the country may be moving in that direction. This could have major repercussions for the wider region.

Central Asia Civil Society

UkraineAlert

Jul 15, 2021

Putin’s new Ukraine essay reveals imperial ambitions

By Peter Dickinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined the historical basis for his claims against Ukraine in a controversial new essay that has been likened in some quarters to a declaration of war.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2021

The world cannot ignore Putin’s Ukraine obsession

By Peter Dickinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin has published a new essay on the "historical unity" of Russians and Ukrainians that illustrates the imperial thinking behind his ongoing seven-year war against Ukraine.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2021

Ukraine’s Security Service reform plans under threat

By Olena Scherban and Olena Halushka

Ukrainian MPs will vote on reform of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) later this week, but serious questions remain over the effectiveness of the draft law in its current form.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2021

Putin will use weaponized pipeline to blackmail Europe

By Inna Sovsun

Vladimir Putin makes little secret of his plans to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, but will Western leaders act before the energy infrastructure project enters service in the coming months?

European Union Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2021

Will Zelenskyy target all Ukrainian oligarchs equally?

By David Clark

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently unveiled plans to curb the political influence of the country's powerful oligarchs, but skeptics question whether he will target oligarch ally Ihor Kolomoisky.

Corruption Democratic Transitions
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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
Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

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
Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

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
Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

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.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2019

Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: spelling confusion doesn’t help Ukraine  

By Peter Dickinson

It would be unfair to expect Ukraine’s novice president to take over the reins of Europe’s largest country seamlessly. However, knowing how to spell his own name in English would seem a more realistic expectation. This did not appear to be the case during the first days of his administration, or at least that was […]

Disinformation Media

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2019

How Kolomoisky does business in the United States

By Anders Åslund

The PrivatBank case shows that dirty money is not necessarily concentrated in the big cities and in real estate but can penetrate the real economy.

Corruption Financial Regulation

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2019

Seven dangers of engaging with the occupied Donbas—and opportunities for the new Ukrainian president

By Petro Burkovskyi

Ukraine’s new president says he wants to end the Russian-backed war in the country’s east. However, it won’t be easy. There are at least seven dangers of engaging with the occupied territories of the Donbas. The first danger is that a class of highly educated and trained leaders is completely absent. All key positions, whether […]

Conflict Corruption

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2019

Cheap gas is too costly

By Oleh Havrylyshyn

On May 20, Volodymyr Zelenskiy was inaugurated Ukraine’s seventh president. In his inaugural address, he demonstrated a resoluteness that should put an end to the annoying journalistic cliché of a “comedian-president.” Taking such firm actions as dissolving parliament and requesting the resignations of key officials within minutes of taking office in front of the very […]

Central Europe Energy Markets & Governance

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2019

Zelenskyy’s golden opportunity to challenge the oligarchs and bring real news to Ukraine’s airwaves

By Janek Lasocki

Over the past five years, the foundations have been laid for a quality public service broadcaster. If successful, it could make a profound difference to public debate in Ukraine.

Democratic Transitions Elections

UkraineAlert

Jun 3, 2019

The right man for the right time  

By Andy Hunder

“God probably has a great sense of humor,” reckons Borys Gudziak, president of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv. The US-born archbishop transformed what was designed to be the Soviet communist party’s atheist ideology center in western Ukraine into a thriving catholic university. The irony of this transformation is not lost on him. Only […]

Civil Society Nationalism

UkraineAlert

May 31, 2019

What Ukraine’s new president cannot afford to overlook

By Bohdan Nahaylo

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s resounding victory in April underscored Ukrainians’ desire for change. Proclaiming his commitment to overhauling the entire system, the new president has announced five short-term priorities: change the electoral law, restore criminal liability for unlawful enrichment, and remove the parliamentary immunity of deputies, as well as reform the legal system and eradicate corruption. […]

Conflict Human Rights

UkraineAlert

May 30, 2019

A tale of two bridges

By Andrii Osadchuk

On May 25, Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko and his brother jumped up and down on a smart, new glass bridge in Kyiv, Ukraine. The video went viral and thousands crowded the pedestrian bridge that connects Volodymyr Hill with Khreschatyk Park. Destined to become one of the most popular attractions in the city as a result […]

Corruption Political Reform

UkraineAlert

May 29, 2019

Will Zelenskiy put Ukraine’s interests first?

By Diane Francis

Americans and Europeans became worried about Kolomoisky’s power after Zelenskiy appointed the oligarch’s long-time lawyer, Andriy Bohdan, to head the government’s administration.

Corruption Inclusive Growth

UkraineAlert

May 28, 2019

Zelenskiy sows confusion and another chance for change

By Oksana Bedratenko

Volodymyr Zelenskiy may be popular among Ukrainians, but he is getting the cold shoulder from its political elite. Ukraine’s new president has few friends in the parliament and government. Within days of taking office, Zelenskiy suffered a defeat in the Rada as the parliament has not considered his bill for a new electoral law. The […]

Fiscal and Structural Reform International Financial Institutions
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