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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 7, 2020

Ukraine’s community spirit on display as businesses rally to counter COVID crisis

By
Andy Hunder

Ukraine's business community has demonstrated an admirable sense of corporate social responsibility during this year's COVID crisis, says American Chamber of Commerce President Andy Hunder


Coronavirus


Ukraine


UkraineAlert

Dec 7, 2020

We will not let the old guard drag Ukraine backwards

By
Dmytro Kuleba

The old guard wants to drag Ukraine back to the times when they could siphon public money off with impunity and play Russian-style politics. We will not let them succeed, says Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.


Corruption


Democratic Transitions


UkraineAlert

Dec 1, 2020

It’s time to start treating Ukraine’s corrupt judiciary as a criminal syndicate

By
Mykhailo Zhernakov

Ukraine's justice system currently operates as a criminal syndicate and requires a complete overhaul if the country is to have any hope of achieving fundamental reform, argues Mykhailo Zhernakov.


Corruption


Political Reform


UkraineAlert

Dec 1, 2020

Naftogaz reforms in danger

By
Diane Francis

Along with the country’s other anti-corruption success stories, Ukraine's Naftogaz is coming under pressure from malevolent forces intent on recapturing state enterprises and turning back the clock.


Energy Markets & Governance


Geopolitics & Energy Security


UkraineAlert

Nov 30, 2020

No IMF funding for Ukraine until Zelenskyy earns trust

By
Anders Åslund

Unless Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy comprehensively changes his policies and staff, the IMF is extremely unlikely to offer his government any more credits, says Anders Åslund.


Corruption


Democratic Transitions


UkraineAlert

Nov 27, 2020

Biden picks Antony Blinken: Good news for Ukraine?

By
Peter Dickinson

As the countdown continues towards President Biden's inauguration, the Atlantic Council asked experts for their opinions on what the selection of Antony Blinken means for US-Ukrainian ties.


Conflict


Politics & Diplomacy


UkraineAlert

Nov 26, 2020

Ukraine arrives at a new anti-corruption crossroads

By
Miriam Kosmehl

With Ukraine’s anti-corruption measures finally beginning to produce results, the old elites have hit back via the Constitutional Court in a bid to derail the country's ambitious reform agenda.


Corruption


Democratic Transitions


UkraineAlert

Nov 24, 2020

Ukraine must study the economic foundations of Azerbaijan’s military success

By
Vladislav Inozemtsev

Ukraine must learn from Azerbaijan and look to create a strong economy built on modern technologies and broad international cooperation before seeking to regain Russian-occupied regions of the country.


Conflict


Economy & Business


UkraineAlert

Nov 24, 2020

Strengthening ties between NATO, Ukraine and Georgia

By
Alyona Getmanchuk, Irakli Porchkhidze, Sergiy Solodkyy

Ukraine and Georgia both feature among NATO's six Enhanced Opportunities Partners but the two former Soviet republics seek greater integration as they continue to push for eventual NATO membership.


NATO Partnerships


Non-Traditional Threats


UkraineAlert

Nov 22, 2020

How Ukraine’s Orange Revolution shaped twenty-first century geopolitics

By
Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution is often overlooked but it is worthy of more attention as one of the great geopolitical turning points of the early twenty-first century that set the stage for today's Cold War climate.


Conflict


Democratic Transitions

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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.

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

May 24, 2017

The Obvious Mistake We Make in Fighting Russian Disinformation

By Geysha Gonzalez

“The person who tells their story best, wins,” said Jed Willard of the FDR Center for Global Engagement at Harvard University in Prague on May 17, succinctly explaining the challenges of fighting disinformation. Willard and 330 other experts from twenty-nine countries gathered in Prague for a strategic communications summit (STRATCOM) hosted by European Values, a […]

Russia

UkraineAlert

May 24, 2017

Will Facebook Finally Fight Disinformation or Just Make Things Worse?

By Nina Jankowicz

For years, Facebook has quietly and very intentionally inserted itself into the daily lives of its users. It has succeeded wildly, becoming arguably the world’s most ubiquitous communication platform, with an average of 1.28 billion daily users. But now that it has become one of the world’s most popular sources of news, Facebook is failing […]

Russia

UkraineAlert

May 23, 2017

By Changing Alphabet, Kazakhs Take Another Step Toward the West

By Ariel Cohen

Kazakhstan has decided to switch alphabets, from Cyrillic to Latin script, by 2025. After decades of Russian and Soviet domination, countries are developing their own cultural code, though some feel uneasy about the change. Yet the Latin alphabet will only boost Kazakhstan’s international integration and its economic, technological, and scientific development. Plus, Latin script isn’t […]

Central Asia

UkraineAlert

May 23, 2017

The Reform Story Isn’t Over in Kyiv

By Ivan Mikloš

In the West, many people are ready to write off Ukraine. They wrongly believe that Ukraine’s reforms are stagnating, corruption is widespread, and the country is at war. But Ukraine’s reforms are definitely not done. To understand Ukraine’s promise, one must first grasp the country’s situation in 2014 when the reforms began. Two decades of […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 22, 2017

Why Are Russian Opposition Leaders Democrats at Home and Imperialists Abroad?

By Taras Kuzio

The US Congress has approved $100 million to counter “Russian influence and aggression” and support civil society organizations in Europe and Eurasia. According to the legislation, the funding will be used to “support democracy programs in the Russian Federation, including to promote internet freedom, and shall also be made available to support the democracy and […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2017

Something Is Very Wrong in Kyiv

By Josh Cohen

Ukraine Brags about Reforms and Harasses Activists Oleksandra Ustinova does not scare easily. Ustinova—Ustik to her friends—is a member of the board of the most outspoken watchdog in Kyiv and has led lobbying campaigns which successfully pushed through anticorruption reforms in Ukraine. She’s also a recognizable face with her straight blond hair and light blue […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 17, 2017

From Russia with Hate: The Kremlin’s Support for Violent Extremism in Central Europe

By Péter Krekó and Lóránt Győri

In 2016, the mayor of Ásotthalom, a small Hungarian town close to the country’s southern border, celebrated the opening of Gagarin Street with an obelisk to Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin and a speech about Russia’s greatness. The mayor was László Toroczkai, an extremist politician who serves as the vice president of the far-right Jobbik party; […]

Central Europe Hungary

UkraineAlert

May 17, 2017

Crimea’s Virtual Blackout Means Anything Goes

By Yuriy Lukanov

On Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, the Russian authorities are suppressing freedom of speech so that no one will really know what has happened there. Journalists in particular are under threat. The case of Ukrainian journalist Mykola Semena is one example of the situation in Crimea, which Russia has illegally occupied since 2014. His opinions were published […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 15, 2017

Why Ukraine’s Worst Enemy Is Not Vladimir Putin

By Peter Dickinson

Identifying Ukraine’s enemies has become a popular pastime. Unsurprisingly, Russia was the first one to be listed after the Kremlin dropped any pretense of Slavic fraternity and invaded the country. Corruption was next. Whereas Russia was the enemy at the gates, corruption was the enemy within. An eclectic collection of lesser enemies has since joined […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 15, 2017

Why the Internet May Save Us After All

By Nina Jankowicz

New Activists in Belarus and Russia Take to the Streets after Videos and Memes Spread On a single weekend in March, Russia and Belarus witnessed their largest protests in five years. Both countries have seen major street demonstrations in the past, but these were different and catalyzed by social media. The widespread use of online […]

Belarus Russia