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.

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

Ukraine’s Reforms Are Pointless without Resolving Security Issues

UkraineAlert
Jan 20, 2026

Ukraine’s best security guarantee is the ability to strike back inside Russia

By
Serhii Kuzan

With Kyiv’s Western allies unlikely to risk war with Russia, Ukraine’s most realistic security guarantee remains a strong military coupled with the ability to strike targets deep inside Russia, writes Serhii Kuzan.

Conflict
Defense Policy

Ukraine’s Reforms Are Pointless without Resolving Security Issues

UkraineAlert
Jan 15, 2026

Veterans can shape the future of Ukrainian democracy

By
Vasyl Sehin

The participation of military veterans in Ukraine’s political life has the potential to dramatically strengthen Ukrainian democracy and safeguard the country’s historic transition from centuries of Russian autocracy, writes Vasyl Sehin.

Conflict
Democratic Transitions

Ukraine’s Reforms Are Pointless without Resolving Security Issues

UkraineAlert
Jan 8, 2026

Ukraine’s robot army will be crucial in 2026 but drones can’t replace infantry

By
David Kirichenko

Ukraine’s growing robot army of land drones will play a vital role in the country’s defense during 2026, but they are not wonder weapons and cannot serve as a miracle cure for Kyiv’s manpower shortages, writes David Kirichenko.

Artificial Intelligence
Conflict

Latest analysis

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


UkraineAlert

Mar 24, 2026

Could Russia use fake separatists to destabilize Estonia and discredit NATO?

By
James Rice

In recent weeks, references to a pro-Russian separatist movement in neighboring Estonia have begun appearing with increasing frequency on social media. However, not everyone is convinced that the so-called "Narva People's Republic" is worthy of serious attention, writes James Rice.


Conflict

Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Mar 19, 2026

Putin is counting on Western disunity to hand him victory in Ukraine

By
Mykola Bielieskov

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been unable to defeat the Ukrainians on the battlefield but he remains confident that Western disunity will ultimately hand him victory in Ukraine, writes Mykola Bielieskov.


Conflict

European Union


UkraineAlert

Mar 19, 2026

Wartime Ukraine offers global lessons on the future of cyber resilience

By
Oleksandr Bakalynskyi, Maggie McDonough

The twelve years of cyber warfare that have accompanied Russia’s escalating invasion of Ukraine have transformed the country’s digital environment into a proving ground for modern conflict, write Oleksandr Bakalynskyi and Maggie McDonough.


Conflict

Critical Infrastructure Policy


UkraineAlert

Mar 17, 2026

The Iran war is good for the Russian economy but bad for Putin’s prestige

By
Maksym Beznosiuk, Will Dixon

From Armenia and Syria to Venezuela and Iran, Moscow’s inability since 2022 to aid its allies in times of crisis has seriously damaged Russia’s reputation as a global power, write Maksym Beznosiuk and Will Dixon.


Conflict

Geopolitics & Energy Security


UkraineAlert

Mar 14, 2026

UN: Putin’s deportation of Ukrainian children is a crime against humanity

By
Peter Dickinson

Russia’s deportation of Ukrainian children is a crime against humanity, a new United Nations investigation has found. The mass abduction and indoctrination of Ukrainian children is part of a genocidal Kremlin plan to erase Ukrainian identity, writes Peter Dickinson.


Conflict

Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Mar 12, 2026

Iran war highlights Ukraine’s rapid rise to drone superpower status

By
David Kirichenko

The Iran war has sparked a sudden surge in international demand for Kyiv’s unique anti-drone expertise and highlighted Ukraine's rapid emergence as one of the world's leading drone warfare superpowers, writes David Kirichenko.


Conflict

Defense Technologies


UkraineAlert

Mar 10, 2026

Western leaders must abandon false hopes of negotiated peace with Putin

By
Oleksandr Merezhko

If Western leaders seek a sustainable peace in Europe, they must abandon false hopes of a negotiated deal with Putin and instead demonstrate the kind of resolve that will make Russia listen, writes Oleksandr Merezhko.


Conflict

European Union


UkraineAlert

Mar 10, 2026

Russian talk of protecting compatriots masks Putin’s imperial ambitions

By
Agnia Grigas

Four years after Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the international debate about how the war should end remains haunted by myths first promoted by the Kremlin more than a decade ago, writes Agnia Grigas.


Belarus

Central Asia


UkraineAlert

Mar 5, 2026

Iran war could save Vladimir Putin’s failing Ukraine invasion

By
Peter Dickinson

While Russia’s inability to assist Iran is undoubtedly embarrassing for the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin could still emerge as a key beneficiary of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, writes Peter Dickinson.


Conflict

Drones

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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

Ukraine’s Reforms Are Pointless without Resolving Security Issues

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

Ukraine’s Reforms Are Pointless without Resolving Security Issues

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

Ukraine’s Reforms Are Pointless without Resolving Security Issues

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

Nov 15, 2016

Ukraine’s Reforms Are Pointless without Resolving Security Issues

By Andreas Umland

Making Western assistance to Kyiv more effective is crucial to Ukraine’s future. Yet the West’s current approach is plagued by a strategic defect. When Western aid and Kyiv’s reforms reach a tipping point, they will trigger increasingly aggressive counter-reactions from Moscow for domestic political reasons in Russia. Until Ukraine’s fundamental security challenges are met, Western […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 14, 2016

Watch Out, Silicon Valley. Here Comes Ukraine

By Yuliia Horovetska

Ukraine has the potential to become Europe’s top hub for information technology and other innovation-based industries. Some major private sector businesses have already chosen Ukraine as the site of their research and development centers; among them are Aricent, Boeing, Ericsson, Oracle, and Siemens. Private business initiatives in Ukraine have given birth to well-known startups like […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 14, 2016

We Are Building the New Ukraine, Three Years after Euromaidan

By Yuriy Didula

The need for reconciliation between eastern and western Ukraine is often emphasized in Ukrainian and international media, and has been the subject of dozens of roundtables in the past couple of years. Though originally from western Ukraine, I have lived and worked in the east for nearly two years, and I have come to realize […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 9, 2016

Here’s Why Nord Stream 2 Isn’t the Only Game in Town

By Olga Bielkova

Most Russia watchers, including those at the Atlantic Council, recognize that in this age of hybrid warfare, energy trade is a potent weapon. What has changed with Nord Stream 2 is that the weapon is now pointed directly at the EU rather than Ukraine, and it is masquerading as a commercial project. But who could […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 9, 2016

Does Saakashvili’s Resignation Mark the End of Reform in Ukraine?

By Diane Francis

Mikheil Saakashvili’s resignation this week does not mark the failure of reform efforts in Ukraine. It opens a new chapter. “Odesa can only develop once Kyiv will be freed from these bribe takers, who directly patronize organized crime and lawlessness,” he bluntly told journalists when he announced he was quitting on November 7. This opinion […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 9, 2016

Ukraine, Not Syria, Should Be Top Priority for President Trump

By Melinda Haring

Resolving the conflict in Ukraine should be a higher priority for the United States and Europe than addressing the civil war in Syria, said Archbishop Zoria Yevstratiy, representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate, during a visit to Washington, DC. “I’m very sorry about the Syrian people, but Ukraine can’t be compared. Syria never […]

Russia Syria

UkraineAlert

Nov 9, 2016

Nerve-Racking November: Ukraine’s Energy Subsidies Leave Some in the Cold

By Oksana Bedratenko

“The first week of November is so nerve-racking. Until I get the bill, I don’t know if my subsidy has been extended for this heating season and what amount will it cover,” my friend’s mother, a 69-year old pensioner in Kyiv, said when I called to check on her. “With these high utility prices—if the […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 8, 2016

Here’s How to Fix Public Broadcasting in Ukraine

By Roman Shutov

Zurab Alasania’s resignation from the position of director general of the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (NTU) has roused concerns about the future of public broadcasting reform in Ukraine. Although some experts believe it is already too late to reverse reforms, the coming months will determine the future of public broadcasting just […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 7, 2016

Four Swift Blows to Putin’s Influence in Europe

By John E. Herbst

Moscow retains substantial influence in Europe. However, its ability to leverage that influence against Ukraine appears to be declining, as four decisions over the past two months illustrate. Moscow’s intervention in Syria is weakening the Kremlin’s position vis a vis Ukraine in the views of European policymakers. This was evident on October 12 at the […]

European Union International Organizations

UkraineAlert

Nov 2, 2016

Why the Revelation of Officials’ Cash, Cars, and a Church Will Change Ukraine for Good

By Anders Åslund

In a bout of extraordinary transparency, 50,000 Ukrainian officials have declared their assets and incomes and it is easily accessible to the interested public. A staggering amount of wealth has been revealed and this very act is likely to have changed Ukraine for good. As declarations arrived on the publicly accessible register, it recorded the […]

Ukraine
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