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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

Aug 10, 2022

Putin is running out of excuses as Ukraine expands the war to Crimea

By
Peter Dickinson

Russian officials have denied that Ukraine was behind an audacious August 9 attack on an airbase in occupied Crimea but Moscow's excuses are beginning to wear thin as Vladimir Putin's invasion continues to unravel.


Conflict


Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Aug 9, 2022

Flawed Amnesty report risks enabling more Russian war crimes in Ukraine

By
Lillian Posner

Amnesty International's recent report accusing Ukraine of endangering civilian lives has sparked a wave of international criticism and is being actively used by the Kremlin to justify Russian bombing of civilian targets.


Civil Society


Conflict


UkraineAlert

Aug 8, 2022

Putin has forced Ukrainians to view Russian culture as a weapon of war

By
Kate Tsurkan

Efforts to reduce Russia's cultural footprint in Ukraine have sparked criticism but in reality it is Putin who has weaponized Russian culture and forced Ukrainians to view the likes of Pushkin and Dostoevsky as tools of empire.


Civil Society


Conflict


UkraineAlert

Aug 5, 2022

Russia’s invasion is putting the future of Ukraine’s forests at risk

By
Yehor Hrynyk

As the Russian invasion approaches the six-month mark, Ukraine's forests are facing the twin threats of frontline wildfires and wartime emergency economic measures that could lead to a disastrous increase in logging.


Conflict


Eastern Europe


UkraineAlert

Aug 4, 2022

Russian army faces morale problems as Putin’s Ukraine invasion drags on

By
Peter Dickinson

A new opinion poll indicates that the Russian public continues to strongly support their country's invasion of Ukraine but there are growing signs that Vladimir Putin's invading army is suffering from low morale.


Conflict


Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Aug 4, 2022

Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

By
Oleksiy Goncharenko

The recent UN-brokered agreement to end Russia's Black Sea blockade and renew Ukrainian grain shipments is a step in the right direction but the only way to truly safeguard global food security is via military measures.


Conflict


Drones


UkraineAlert

Aug 2, 2022

Ukrainian civil society can play a key role in securing victory over Russia

By
Jonas Oehman

Ukraine's international partners should seek to develop stronger partnerships with the country's vibrant civil society sector and make better use of existing networks linking volunteers with the Ukrainian military.


Civil Society


Conflict


UkraineAlert

Aug 2, 2022

Putin’s entire Ukraine invasion hinges on the coming Battle of Kherson

By
Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's much anticipated counter-offensive in the south of the country is now gathering momentum with many observers predicting that the looming Battle of Kherson will decide the fate of Vladimir Putin's entire invasion.


Conflict


Disinformation


UkraineAlert

Jul 30, 2022

Ukraine defies Russian invasion and advances European energy integration

By
Aura Sabadus

Ukraine has more than doubled the volume of cheap electricity it can export to EU markets as the country continues to advance its European energy integration despite Russia’s ongoing invasion.


Conflict


Economy & Business


UkraineAlert

Jul 28, 2022

Vogue diplomacy: First Lady Olena Zelenska is Ukraine’s secret weapon

By
Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska has recently sparked debate by posing for a Vogue photo shoot with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz that some slammed as frivolous but others praised as a soft power masterstroke.


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.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Jan 3, 2017

Is Russia Planning a Major Land War against Ukraine?

By Alexander J. Motyl

Recent evidence suggest that Russia may be planning a major land war against Ukraine. While Russian President Vladimir Putin talks peace, several leading Russian analysts have explicitly endorsed the “Syrian variant” with respect to Ukraine. Are they speaking for themselves or are they acting on behalf of the regime, sending out trial balloons in order […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 3, 2017

How to End the War in Ukraine in 2017

By Valentyn Nalyvaichenko

Victor Pinchuk’s recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, “Ukraine Must Make Painful Compromises for Peace with Russia,” does not take into account that any plan for Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories must first consider the will of the people living in those territories and seek their betterment. During a recent trip to Washington, DC, […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 3, 2017

2017 Should Be the Year Ukraine’s Economy Takes Off

By Anders Åslund

Three years after the Revolution of Dignity, the Ukrainian economy has stabilized and is ready for growth. Will the growth be fast or slow? Dangers lie ahead, but opportunities prevail. Success is easily taken for granted, so it is worth recalling what Ukraine has accomplished in the past three years.

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 21, 2016

Why I’m Optimistic about Ukraine’s Reforms in 2017

By Oksana Bedratenko

Following decades of neglect, there is real progress in Ukraine’s healthcare sector. Thanks to the efforts of reformers in the Ministry of Health, pressure from civil society, and the support of international donors, the sector is seeing reduced corruption and clear prospects for reform. The healthcare sector had been a magnet for large-scale corruption for […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 20, 2016

How the West Can Beat Back the Kremlin

By Jakub Janda

The Kremlin and its allies have started to harvest the fruits of the seeds they have been planting for years. Moscow occupies territories of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine; actively wages war on another part of Ukrainian soil; and is now playing a game of political subversion in several Western states. In the past few years, […]

Cybersecurity France

UkraineAlert

Dec 20, 2016

Russia’s War on the West Is Real. Why Aren’t We Fighting Back?

By Stephen Blank

Russia’s systematic attack on America’s political system dominates the headlines. Nobody besides President-elect Donald Trump denies that Russia attacked the US political system and electoral institutions. Moreover, Russia did so with impunity and, according to the Central Intelligence Agency and the White House, it did so under Russian President Vladimir Putin’s direct guidance to discredit […]

Cybersecurity Elections

UkraineAlert

Dec 19, 2016

Just Outsource It: How to Rebuild Eastern Ukraine

By Josh Cohen

While Russia’s hybrid war in the Donbas drags on, Ukraine is turning its attention to improving the lives of the region’s people. A key part of this effort is rebuilding the infrastructure in those areas that remain under Kyiv’s control. Kyiv has allocated $150 million to begin rebuilding schools and hospitals, but this is a […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 19, 2016

The Future of Ukraine’s Economy

By Melinda Haring

“What we need most of all is the end of hostilities,” said Martin Sajdik, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and the Trilateral Contact Group on the implementation of the peace plan in eastern Ukraine, at an event about Ukraine. “Without international assistance from the EU, from the United States, from Japan…I don’t […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 19, 2016

Ukraine Nationalizes its Biggest Bank. Here’s Why This Is a Good Thing

By Anders Åslund

On December 18, the Ukrainian authorities nationalized PrivatBank, the country’s biggest bank. This decision may mark the end of the banking crisis in Ukraine. PrivatBank accounts for one-fifth of all Ukrainian banking assets and half of payments. It is the dominant bank for small and medium-sized businessmen, but about 70 percent of its lending is […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 15, 2016

Russia’s ‘Active Measures’ Are Back with a Vengeance

By Amanda Abrams

The issue of Russian hacking of American email accounts in order to influence the US presidential election reached new heights this week. President Barack Obama ordered the intelligence community to conduct a full review of Russia’s interference in the elections before he leaves office on January 20, and Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham announced […]

Cybersecurity Russia