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

Latest analysis


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


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

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.

Follow us on social media
and support our work

Content

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2016

Does Ukraine Need an Anti-Corruption Court?

By Thomas Firestone

The recent scandal surrounding alleged payments made to Paul Manafort by the former Ukrainian government has again cast a spotlight on corruption in Ukraine. Whatever one thinks of the Manafort story, no one can dispute that Ukrainians are entitled to an honest government that does not steal from them. But how can Ukraine achieve this […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 23, 2016

Russia is Surrounding Ukraine, but Where’s the West?

By Aaron Korewa

In recent weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been doing what he is best at: war mongering. It began with the Kremlin’s accusation that Ukrainian leaders had “chosen terror over peace,” despite the fact Russia has not been able to produce any credible evidence of the alleged “sabotage plot” in Crimea. Additionally, neither the OSCE’s […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 19, 2016

The West Has a Ukraine Challenge, and It’s Not Going Away

By Ariel Cohen

Since the Middle Ages, Kyivan Rus—the loose network of warring principalities whose borders vaguely coincide with today’s Ukraine—has been exposed to waves of invaders from neighboring states. This list of aggressors includes the Normans, Mongols, Poles, Ottomans, Habsburg Austrians, Germans, and Nazis—and not least, Muscovite Russians, the Romanov Russian Empire, and Bolsheviks. Each invasion destroyed […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 15, 2016

Why Putin Turns the Heat Up on Ukraine Now

By James J. Coyle

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be preparing a new offensive in Ukraine. Russia has prepared an excuse for a military incursion to connect Crimea with rebel-held areas of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Fighting along the corridor has already heated up; the Ukrainian military reports that on the night of August 8 more than 200 […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 15, 2016

Why Peace Is Impossible with Putin

By Alexander J. Motyl

Peace in Europe is impossible as long as Vladimir Putin remains Russia’s leader. As both the biggest obstacle to peace and the key source of potential war, Putin has become the main threat to Russia’s neighbors and the West. But what, exactly, motivates him? Analysts are divided over the reasons for Putin’s foreign policy moves. […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 13, 2016

How Russian Propaganda Portrays European Leaders

By František Vrabel, Jakub Janda, and Veronika Víchová

Russia’s efforts to spread disinformation in other countries as part of a hybrid war against the West sometimes make us forget that the media networks inside Russia also greatly matter. Even though Russia’s domestic media targets the Russian-speaking population, its narratives and portrayals of the international scene can tell us a lot about Russia’s foreign […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 10, 2016

Is Putin Preparing a New Attack on Ukraine?

By Anders Åslund

Observers have greatly feared that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would start a small regional war this August. Russia has moved up its State Duma elections to September 18. Although only Putin’s parties are allowed to win, he has a predilection for “small and victorious wars” to mobilize his people. In 1999, the second war in […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 10, 2016

Kramatorsk, Two Years On

By Hannah Thoburn

Kramatorsk is one of the most American cities that I have encountered in Ukraine. It is not laid out in the walkable format that most Ukrainian towns and villages have. Rather, it has a wide, broad layout, with extensive blocks. It is a city in which a car is almost a necessity. And that is […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 10, 2016

What Business in Ukraine is Really Like

By Thomas Theiner

A Response to James Brooke James Brooke truly believes that investors should sink their money into Ukraine. He couldn’t be more wrong. Every roulette table in Las Vegas is more promising than Ukraine. I know from personal experience; I lived in Kyiv for five years and knew a few dozen foreigners who invested in Ukraine. […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Aug 9, 2016

Memo to Ukrainian Government: Privatization Can Succeed if You Get Out of the Way

By Basil Kalymon

On July 18, Ukraine’s most recent attempt at privatization came to a disappointing conclusion. Odesa’s petrochemical plant, OPZ, was placed up for auction, but after the government set a minimum price of $520 million, no qualified bidders came forward. As a consequence, the state still owns the enterprise, which continues to impose losses on the […]

Ukraine