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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

Sep 9, 2021

Odesa’s unique place in Ukraine’s cultural evolution

By
Andrew D’Anieri

Ukrainian Black Sea port city Odesa occupies a unique place in the country's cultural evolution thanks to its unrivaled international pedigree and the limitless creative ambitions of the local cultural community.


Civil Society


Resilience & Society


UkraineAlert

Sep 9, 2021

Why Ukraine must join NATO

By
Adrian Hoefer

Given the Kremlin's hostile revisionism, Ukraine's membership in NATO is in the long-term interest of the US and its allies. As Moscow expands its hybrid war on the West, Ukraine is an asset.


Eastern Europe


International Organizations


UkraineAlert

Sep 9, 2021

Navigating the geopolitical battlefield of Ukrainian history

By
Serhii Plokhy

Prominent Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy's latest essay collection seeks to demonstrate how the country's evolving sense of national history is central to Ukraine’s current war with Russia and its relations with the West.


Resilience & Society


Ukraine


UkraineAlert

Sep 7, 2021

Could Vladimir Putin repeat his Crimean conquest in southwestern Ukraine?

By
Michael Druckman

The Bessarabia region in southwestern Ukraine shares many of the same characteristics that helped facilitate the 2014 Kremlin takeover of Crimea and should be a national security priority for the Ukrainian authorities.


Conflict


Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Sep 7, 2021

Ukraine’s digital revolution is gaining momentum

By
Mykhailo Fedorov

September marks the second anniversary of Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation. The Ministry can report significant progress in turning President Zelenskyy's dreams of a digital revolution into reality.


Digital Policy


Internet


UkraineAlert

Sep 5, 2021

US anti-corruption crusade should focus on Europe’s east

By
Janusz Bugajski

By making the fight against corruption a key US foreign policy priority, President Biden can counter the Kremlin's efforts to gain influence throughout Central and Eastern Europe via the exploitation of corruption.


Central Europe


Corruption


UkraineAlert

Sep 2, 2021

Biden and Zelenskyy get US-Ukraine ties back on track

By
Peter Dickinson

US President Joe Biden hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on September 1 for a meeting that sought to reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to Ukrainian sovereignty.


Democratic Transitions


Politics & Diplomacy


UkraineAlert

Sep 1, 2021

Young Ukrainians must not remain hostages to the country’s totalitarian trauma

By
Sonya Rashkovan

Modern Ukraine remains haunted by the legacy of the country's deeply troubled history, but the emerging generation of young Ukrainians must move beyond this totalitarian trauma in order to build a better future, argues 16-year-old student activist Sonya Rashkovan.


Democratic Transitions


Resilience & Society


UkraineAlert

Aug 31, 2021

Could Snake Island be the next hot spot in Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war?

By
Andrew D’Anieri, Doug Klain

Vladimir Putin's hybrid war against Ukraine is now in its eighth year and shows no signs of ending. Many expect the next escalation to come in the Black Sea, with Ukraine's Snake Island a potentially attractive target.


Conflict


Maritime Security


UkraineAlert

Aug 30, 2021

What unites Ukrainians?

By
Arena

As Ukraine enters its fourth decade of statehood, new research based on more than 20 focus groups held across the country offers fascinating insights into the issues and experiences that unite Ukrainians.


Democratic Transitions


Resilience & Society

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.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Dec 17, 2018

How to Speak about Ukraine’s Future and Tymoshenko in the West

By Andreas Umland

My recent article “What Would a Tymoshenko Presidency Mean?” caused indignation among numerous experts and journalists in Ukraine and indigestion among some in Washington. Obviously, there are a number of problems with Yulia Tymoshenko and her presidential bid, such as her leftish populist slogans and the financial sources behind her expensive campaign. Yet, the fact […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 13, 2018

Is Russia About to Invade Ukraine?

By Alexander J. Motyl

Vladimir Putin must be kicking himself. Four years ago, he could have invaded and seized most of Ukraine in a few weeks. Believing that Ukrainians were an “artificial” nation led by “fascists,” however, he figured an invasion was unnecessary and the state would collapse on its own. Now, Ukrainians are daily demonstrating their desire to […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2018

Hunger for Change in Ukraine, but Not Much on the Menu

By Ruslan Minich

On billboards throughout Ukraine is the phrase, “The president is the servant of the people.” But is this the teaser for a TV series with the same title—or a serious political campaign for its star, who may or may not be running for president? On the most viewed series in Ukraine, Servant of the People, […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2018

Why Pro-Russian Candidates Won’t Win Ukraine’s 2019 Elections

By Taras Kuzio

Those who believe Ukraine has not fundamentally changed since the launch of Russia’s military aggression are dead wrong. In fact, the 2019 elections will clearly illustrate that pro-Russian candidates have not only lost significant support, they will barely win any national offices. Pro-Russian candidates are hampered from achieving success in the 2019 parliamentary and presidential […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 11, 2018

How to Weaken Putin’s Hand (The Answer Isn’t What You Think)

By Andreas Umland

Ukraine is making international headlines again. Conflict in the Black Sea, war in eastern Ukraine, new anti-corruption institutions, and the imminent independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been widely reported and hotly discussed. But one important topic has gone largely unnoticed in the West—Ukraine’s ongoing local governance reform. The transformation of Ukraine’s administrative structure […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 11, 2018

Ukraine’s Maidan Opposition Is Finally Getting Organized, but Will It Make Any Difference?

By Melinda Haring

On December 7, about two hundred fifty Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv for the launch of a new social movement that looks set to become Ukraine’s first liberal political party. People Matter is basing its platform on minimizing the role of government in the economy and reorienting the entire state around the concept of service; in American […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 3, 2018

Anti-Corruption Reformer Ready for Round Two

By Viola Gienger

Olena Tregub spent more than two years working around the clock to help revitalize her moribund government ministry in Ukraine. As director of international aid coordination for the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, her mission was to bring some transparency to $12 billion of foreign assistance pouring into the country after 2014. Tracking assistance, […]

UkraineAlert

Dec 1, 2018

From the Azov Sea to Washington DC: How Russophobia Became Russia’s Leading Export

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin had a simple explanation for the wave of international condemnation that engulfed Moscow in the wake of Russia’s November 25 Black Sea attack on the Ukrainian Navy. According to the Kremlin leader, it was all Ukraine’s doing. “Kyiv is actively stirring up anti-Russian sentiment,” he lamented. “That’s all they have—and it works.” This […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 30, 2018

How the West Got Martial Law in Ukraine Totally Wrong

By John E. Herbst

The past several days have been historic ones in Ukraine’s development as a sovereign and democratic nation. Moscow’s unprovoked attack on and seizure of three Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea on November 25 began this process. This attack represents a serious escalation of Kremlin aggression because it was done openly by regular Russian military […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 30, 2018

What Would a Tymoshenko Presidency Mean?

By Andreas Umland

Many Western observers would like to see a change in Ukrainian leadership following the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections. Some would prefer to see a young MP from parliament’s Euro-Optimists group become president; others hope the country’s next leader will come from one of Ukraine’s new parties, such as Democratic Alliance or Power of the […]

Russia Ukraine