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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

Apr 7, 2026

Hungarian election could have implications for EU, US, Russia, and Ukraine

By
Marc Goedemans

The Hungarian parliamentary elections on April 12 are being billed as the most important in the country’s modern history. With Hungary a key focus in the escalating confrontation between Russia and the West, this weekend’s vote could also have geopolitical implications that will be felt in Kyiv, Moscow, Brussels, and Washington. Current Hungarian Prime Minister […]


Civil Society


Conflict


UkraineAlert

Apr 2, 2026

Ukraine’s heating system resilience offers lessons for European neighbors

By
Miro Sedlák

Russia's bombardment of Ukraine's civilian heating system has forced Kyiv to develop a model of infrastructure resilience based on decentralization and speed that offers important lessons for Ukraine's EU neighbors, writes Miro Sedlák.


Conflict


Critical Infrastructure Policy


UkraineAlert

Apr 1, 2026

Europe has the resources to contain Russia but lacks the political will

By
Oleksiy Zagorodnyuk

Europe unquestionably possesses the industrial and economic base to outmatch Russia but has yet to demonstrate the unity and political will necessary to contain the Kremlin and stop Putin in Ukraine, writes Oleksiy Zagorodnyuk.


Conflict


Defense Industry


UkraineAlert

Apr 1, 2026

Ukraine’s military success is exposing the myth of inevitable Russian victory

By
Kateryna Odarchenko

The Kremlin is promoting the idea of inevitable Russian victory in Ukraine as part of efforts to deter further support for Kyiv, but this narrative is being undermined by mounting Ukrainian military successes, writes Kateryna Odarchenko.


Conflict


Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Mar 31, 2026

Zelenskyy’s Gulf region tour was a masterclass in wartime diplomacy

By
Peter Dickinson

As the Iran War focuses global attention on the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the Gulf region in late March on a whirlwind tour that showcased Ukraine’s growing military strength and geopolitical clout, writes Peter Dickinson.


Conflict


Defense Technologies


UkraineAlert

Mar 31, 2026

Ukraine bombs Russia’s Baltic ports as Zelenskyy targets Putin’s oil exports

By
David Kirichenko

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says the country’s partners have called on Kyiv to scale down attacks on Russian energy infrastructure after drone strikes reportedly reduced Russia’s oil export capacity by at least 40 percent as global energy prices surge amid the Iran War, writes David Kirichenko.


Conflict


Drones


UkraineAlert

Mar 26, 2026

Only additional pressure can push Putin toward peace

By
Kira Rudik

With the Kremlin ignoring calls for a compromise peace, the only way to advance negotiations is by putting more pressure on Putin. Failure to do so could have disastrous consequences that would be felt far beyond the borders of Ukraine, writes Kira Rudik.


Conflict


Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Mar 26, 2026

Drone superpower Ukraine is an ideal tech partner for the Gulf states

By
Anatoly Motkin

Kyiv's decision to help defend the Gulf states against Iranian drones by deploying teams of Ukrainian specialists is highlighting the scope for broader tech sector cooperation between Ukraine and the region, writes Anatoly Motkin.


Conflict


Defense Technologies


UkraineAlert

Mar 24, 2026

Russia bombs Ukrainian UNESCO site as Putin escalates terror tactics

By
Peter Dickinson

Russia bombed a UNESCO World Heritage site in the historic heart of west Ukrainian city Lviv on March 24 as Kremlin efforts to target Ukraine’s civilian population continue to escalate, writes Peter Dickinson.


Conflict


Drones


UkraineAlert

Mar 24, 2026

US secures new Belarus prisoner release in exchange for sanctions relief

By
Mercedes Sapuppo

Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka released 250 political prisoners on March 19 in exchange for US sanctions relief as Washington’s efforts to revive diplomatic ties with Minsk continued, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.


Belarus


Conflict

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.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2018

If Trump Wants to Show He’s Tough on Russia, Here’s What He Should Do Next

By Roman Sohn and Ariana Gic

On July 25, the United States reaffirmed its rejection of Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. In the Crimea Declaration, the United States recognizes that by annexing Crimea, Russia violated the fundamental principle of the United Nations Charter by using force against the territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine, and calls on […]

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2018

Why It’s Too Soon to Celebrate Ukraine’s New National Security Law

By Lada L. Roslycky and Olena Tregub

Ukraine’s Soviet-based national security framework has finally been replaced. Ukraine’s Rada passed the bill on June 21 and its passage was greeted with a mix of praise and skepticism. The US State Department publicly welcomed Ukraine’s new national security law, noting that the framework will increase cooperation with NATO, and its full implementation will deepen […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2018

Good Things Are Happening in Ukraine, Even if They Don’t Make Headlines

By Tim Ash

Ukraine just got a big win. On July 25, the International Monetary Fund signaled its support for Ukraine’s amended plans to create an Anticorruption Court. The Rada passed the original bill in June and amended it on July 12 to address concerns subsequently raised by the IMF.

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 26, 2018

Why Is Ukraine Giving Fugitive Oligarch Dmytro Firtash a $1 Billion Windfall?

By Oleksandr Kharchenko

Editor’s note: On July 27, it was announced that implementation of the gas transportation system code has been delayed until October 1. The problems that Kharchenko outlines below with the new code still apply.  Christmas comes early this year for Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash. On August 1, the tycoon may pocket about $1 billion through […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 26, 2018

How to Make Disappointed Ukrainians Believe Again

By Elena Tribushnaya

This month, the Ukrainian magazine Novoye Vremya interviewed fifty experts to assess President Petro Poroshenko’s achievements after four years. The result was a score of just six out of twelve.

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 26, 2018

Why Is Ukraine Still So Poor?

By Basil Kalymon and Oleh Havrylyshyn

Ukraine should have been a prosperous, middle-income country by now. Instead, it is one of the poorest in Europe. Ukrainians are only slightly richer than Moldovans. Since Ukraine’s independence, we, as members of the diaspora, have had a keen interest in the country’s development. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there were great expectations […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 24, 2018

Drones, Video Cameras, and Online Searches: How One Team Catches Ukraine’s Crooks

By Josh Cohen

Exposing corrupt Ukrainian judges and prosecutors might sound dangerous, but for Kate Butko, it’s nothing compared to what she’s previously dealt with. Butko runs PROSUD, an eleven-person project founded in 2016 by activists from the Automaidan, an anticorruption nongovernmental organization that organized car owners during the Euromaidan. Funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and […]

UkraineAlert

Jul 24, 2018

Ukrainians Want New Leaders. Here’s How They Can Bring in Fresh Faces

By Brian Mefford

It’s no surprise that public opinion polls show that Ukrainians are largely disappointed with the same old faces and choices in politics. The candidates expected to run in the 2019 presidential election aren’t new. Out of frustration with the unaccountability of the current parliament, there was a big push this spring to switch to an […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 24, 2018

What Do the Brussels and Helsinki Summits Mean for Ukraine?

By Stephen Blank

Before the NATO summit in Brussels and the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, many observers were apprehensive about Ukraine’s prospects at these events. As it turned out, in Brussels, NATO strongly supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity. The alliance committed to further development of the bilateral partnership, encouraged Ukraine to make the best use of its opportunities […]

NATO Russia

UkraineAlert

Jul 23, 2018

Russia has no place in the OSCE special monitoring mission in Ukraine

By Paul Niland

It will be difficult to get some other OSCE member countries, allies of Russia, to accept that unanimity minus one should now be applied in Ukraine. But at the very least, this conversation should be opened.

OSCE Russia