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

Latest analysis

UkraineAlert

Apr 27, 2022

Beyond Putin: Russian imperialism is the No. 1 threat to global security

By Volodymyr Vakhitov, Natalia Zaika

Many Western leaders accuse Vladimir Putin of single-handedly sparking the current war in Ukraine but in reality the roots of the conflict are far deeper and reflect longstanding Russian imperial attitudes toward Ukraine.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Apr 23, 2022

New stamp captures Ukraine’s resolve to defy Putin and defeat Russia

By Peter Dickinson

A new Ukrainian postage stamp commemorating an iconic act of resistance to Vladimir Putin’s invasion has become a symbol of surging patriotic pride and growing confidence in Ukraine’s eventual victory over Russia.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 22, 2022

Putin’s Unholy War

By Knox Thames

Vladimir Putin's unholy war in Ukraine has sought to exploit centuries of shared Orthodox faith but the ongoing invasion has only served to expose the growing gulf separating modern Ukraine from Russia.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 21, 2022

Genocide in Ukraine: Putin just gave his tacit approval for more war crimes

By Peter Dickinson

By bestowing military honors on Russian soldiers accused of war crimes against Ukraine civilians, Vladimir Putin is setting the stage for further atrocities and underlining the genocidal intentions behind his invasion of Ukraine.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Apr 20, 2022

UN: Ukraine refugee crisis is Europe’s biggest since WWII

By Julian Vierlinger

According to UN data, more than five million Ukrainians have now fled their homeland since the start of Russia's invasion on February 24, representing the biggest European refugee crisis since the Second World War.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 18, 2022

Putin’s Generation Z: Kremlin pro-war propaganda targets young Russians

By Doug Klain

The wave of fanaticism unleashed by the invasion of Ukraine is creating a new generation of radicalized young Russians who embrace the toxic brand of militarism and extreme nationalism promoted by the Kremlin.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Apr 17, 2022

How Putin’s Russia embraced fascism while preaching anti-fascism

By Taras Kuzio

Vladimir Putin poses as an "anti-fascist" leader engaged in the noble task of “de-Nazifying” Ukraine, but in reality it is Putin's increasingly fascist Russia that is in urgent need of “de-Nazification,” writes Taras Kuzio.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Apr 16, 2022

Never Again?

By Victor Pinchuk

Ever since the Nazi Holocaust, German leaders have declared "never again," but they are now guilty of failing to prevent Russia from committing a new genocide in Ukraine, says Victor Pinchuk.

Conflict Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Apr 14, 2022

The world must not allow Putin to bankrupt Ukraine into surrender

By Peter Dickinson

Russian war crimes in Ukraine have shocked the world but the systematic damage being done to the Ukrainian economy is also an important element of Putin's invasion that requires urgent international attention.

Conflict Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Apr 13, 2022

Memo to Macron: Putin’s Ukraine genocide is not the act of a brother

By Peter Dickinson

French President Emmanuel Macron has refused to describe the mass killing of Ukrainians by Russian soldiers as genocide despite overwhelming evidence of Putin's intention to destroy the Ukrainian nation.

Conflict Disinformation

spotlight

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.

Follow us on social media
and support our work

Content

UkraineAlert

Apr 18, 2019

How the west helped put a comedian in reach of Ukraine’s presidency

By Mary Mycio

With polls putting Ukraine’s incumbent president Petro Poroshenko far behind TV actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy ahead of Sunday’s run-off election, it is worth considering how the West helped put this secretive comedian, backed by oligarchs, on the cusp of becoming commander-in-chief of a country at war with the Kremlin. A case in point occurred in February, […]

Conflict Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 18, 2019

Don’t believe the hype. Presidential elections aren’t what matters in Ukraine

By Melinda Haring

There’s election fever in Kyiv, and with less than a week before Ukrainians go to the polls to likely elect an inexperienced comedian as their next president, the outcome is all but certain. Volodymyr Zelenskiy should easily defeat incumbent President Petro Poroshenko on April 21.      The far more interesting question is who will […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 17, 2019

What does it mean to be Ukrainian today?

By Bohdan Nahaylo

The day of judgement in the Ukrainian presidential election is almost upon us. This is not just a contest between two political contenders and their supporters, representing different backgrounds, styles, and constituencies, or even visions, but something more fundamental. It is a clash between the old and the new. Between traditional Ukraine, in the political […]

Defense Policy Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 16, 2019

Three predictions for Ukraine’s presidential run-off

By Brian Mefford

Voters knew the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election on March 31 was a freebie, but they will make their vote count in the run-off on April 21. It was clear to the public that there would be no candidate who would receive 50 percent in round one, so Ukrainians were able to vote their […]

Elections Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Apr 16, 2019

Is Zelenskiy really the Kremlin’s best hope in Ukraine?

By Peter Dickinson

In the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election, the leading pro-Russian candidate secured 11 percent of the vote. Compare this to 2010 when pro-Kremlin candidate Viktor Yanukovych received 49 percent. This dramatic decline reflects the scale of the damage done to Russian interests in Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s ongoing war. Russian aggression has alienated millions […]

Conflict Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 9, 2019

Will the elections give the Ukrainian economy the kick It needs?

By Anders Åslund

Between the two rounds of the presidential election, a strange calm has grasped Kyiv. The election billboards are gone, and so are the many local protests. The only drama takes place on the Internet, where the two remaining candidates duel with videos. This is a propitious moment to take the temperature of the Ukrainian economy. […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 8, 2019

Ukrainians are world champions at coping with crisis

By Peter Dickinson

The ability to recover from national crises is plugged into Ukraine’s DNA.

Democratic Transitions Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 5, 2019

What Ukraine needs from the west isn’t just cash

By Danylo Lubkivsky

In 2019, Ukraine celebrates the centennial anniversary of the unification of its national lands. On January 22, 1919, the Act of Union marked a historic milestone: for the first time in centuries, the Ukrainian people had revived their nation and unified most of its territories. Then Russian aggression destroyed our freedom, like it did again […]

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2019

Zelenskiy wins first round but that’s not the surprise

By Mattia Nelles

The results of the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election did not surprise many. The four exit polls were remarkably close to one another and to the last comprehensive polls. They all displayed a similar picture: Volodymyr Zelenskiy would face off in the run-off with Poroshenko, who beat Tymoshenko. With the votes now counted, Zelenskiy […]

Conflict Elections

UkraineAlert

Apr 4, 2019

How Poroshenko could win and Zelenskiy could lose

By Alexander J. Motyl

The first round of Ukraine’s presidential election went overwhelmingly to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but his victory in round two is by no means self-evident—especially if his rival, incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, plays his cards right. Ironically, Poroshenko’s three main strengths are Zelenskiy’s three main weaknesses. Poroshenko has a distinguished record (with a variety of blemishes, of […]

Elections Ukraine