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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 19, 2019

Putin’s Russia is stagnating but there will be no “Moscow Maidan”

By
Dennis Soltys

The Russian economy is facing stagnation and domestic discontent is on the rise, but the strengths of Putin's authoritarian system mean Ukrainians should not expect a repeat of their own Maidan movement in Moscow anytime soon.


Democratic Transitions


Political Reform


UkraineAlert

Dec 19, 2019

Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev: “The likelihood of Russia helping us is zero”

By
Diane Francis

Andriy Kobolyev took over the reins of Ukraine’s energy giant Naftogaz during the country's darkest hour in March 2014. Despite huge progress, he continues to face political opposition at home and an array of international challenges courtesy of the Kremlin.


European Union


Geopolitics & Energy Security


UkraineAlert

Dec 19, 2019

Putin’s imperial ambitions mean Ukraine must learn to live with frozen conflict

By
Taras Kuzio

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says he will make painful concessions to achieve peace with Russia, but Putin's vision of Ukraine as part of Russia's historic heartlands means there is little room for compromise.


Conflict


Geopolitics & Energy Security


UkraineAlert

Dec 17, 2019

Paris impasse: Time for Zelenskyy to get real about Russia

By
Oleksiy Goncharenko

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's long-awaited first meeting with Vladimir Putin failed to provide a breakthrough towards peace, leading to calls for more realism in relations with Russia.


Conflict


Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding


UkraineAlert

Dec 17, 2019

Mr. Kuleba comes to Washington

By
Melinda Haring

Ukraine’s Deputy PM Dmytro Kuleba visited Washington, DC, last week to reassure the US government that President Zelenskyy’s team remains committed to the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration.


Democratic Transitions


Geopolitics & Energy Security


UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2019

Lost in translation: Different interpretations of Paris peace talks spell trouble ahead

By
Petro Burkovskyi

The diverging visions for a future peace settlement in Ukraine were on full display in Paris this week as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met for the first time. These differences were also evident in minor discrepancies that appeared in the Ukrainian and Russian language versions of the summit conclusions.


Conflict


Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding


UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2019

European integration is taking root across Ukraine despite Russia’s best efforts

By
Alyona Getmanchuk

A new nationwide study has highlighted the progress made across Ukraine towards greater European integration as the country seeks to move closer to the rest of Europe despite Russian efforts to derail the process and reassert its dominant position.


European Union


Eurozone


UkraineAlert

Dec 11, 2019

Russia-Ukraine Paris peace talks: The view from Berlin

By
Mattia Nelles

Monday’s Normandy Four summit in the French capital saw German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron sitting down with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in a bid to end years of deadly stalemate and bring to an end the undeclared war between Russia and Ukraine in the Donbas. What kind of impression did the long-awaited Paris summit make in Berlin?


Conflict


Germany


UkraineAlert

Dec 10, 2019

How not to discuss with Russia

By
Anders Åslund

With global security threatened by the dawn of a new Cold War, dialogue between Russia and the West has never been more important, but when the desire for discussion prevents honest appraisal of the facts, the results can be counterproductive, argues Anders Åslund


International Norms


Politics & Diplomacy


UkraineAlert

Dec 10, 2019

Q&A: What do Paris talks mean for the Russia-Ukraine peace process?

By
Peter Dickinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the first time during long-awaited Normandy Four peace talks in Paris this week. While the meeting failed to produce any major breakthroughs, it did result in progress on a number of technical issues and a commitment to continue dialogue in spring 2020. What does this mean for the Russia-Ukraine peace process?


Conflict


Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

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

Jan 23, 2017

American-Born Doctor Takes on Ukraine’s Health Care System

By Melinda Haring

Ulana Suprun is a woman on a mission. The 53-year-old radiologist from New York who was appointed Ukraine’s Acting Minister of Health in July is determined to shake up Ukraine’s sclerotic health care system. “The changes that we are making in Ukraine’s health care sector are breaking the old rules and establishing new standards,” Suprun […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 18, 2017

How Far Will Putin Dare to Go in 2017?

By Peter Dickinson

From Brexit to Trump, 2016 was the year fake news became headline news. In Ukraine, however, it was old news. Ukrainians are living through the third winter of an ongoing hybrid war with Russia, a conflict driven to a remarkable degree by fake news. But fake news is only one of the many hybrid war […]

Central Europe Germany

UkraineAlert

Jan 18, 2017

Break the Caucasian Chalk Circle

By Alexandra Hall Hall

As hopes fade that President-elect Donald Trump will take a stronger line on Russia than candidate Trump, and worries grow about his commitment to key Euro-Atlantic institutions such as the EU and NATO, it is not just small countries on the fringe of Europe, like Georgia, whose future is at stake. It is time for […]

Russia The Caucasus

UkraineAlert

Jan 16, 2017

Ukraine Versus China: The Fight for Europe’s Market

By James Brooke

In this week of pre-Trump nervousness, three expats—one American and two Brits—are doing what may seem counterintuitive: launching the Ukraine Business Journal in Kyiv. The goal is simple: provide a clear, factual, English-language window on the business opportunities and obstacles in Ukraine. We believe the time is right. Ukraine has a highly educated workforce of […]

China Russia

UkraineAlert

Jan 13, 2017

US Should Require Russia’s RT to Register as Foreign Agent

By Elena Postnikova

Russia used RT, its TV channel, to influence the recent US elections. This was the finding of the recently declassified US intelligence report; it concluded that Russia implemented a multifaceted campaign involving disclosures of data obtained through hacking, intrusions into state and local electoral boards, and propaganda. While the American elite is debating an appropriate […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 11, 2017

Ten Things You Should Know about Russian Involvement in Ukraine

By Vitalii Rybak

Russian President Vladimir Putin denies involvement in the conflict in Ukraine’s east. Despite his continued denials of Russia’s involvement in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), a growing body of evidence casts doubts on his claims. Here are ten things everyone needs to know about Russian involvement in Ukraine. 1. […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 11, 2017

The Fight for Ukraine Is Still Not Over

By Ilya Yashin

Russian President Vladimir Putin uses a broad array of tools to keep Ukraine in Russia’s sphere of influence and destabilize Ukraine’s current government. These tools include propaganda, financial support of loyal parties and journalists, corruption, economic pressure, political blackmail, and direct military intervention. Others have documented these tools well. I see four ways Putin is […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 10, 2017

Russia’s Crimea Bridge Could Collapse Anytime

By Halya Coynash

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called construction of a bridge between Russia and occupied Crimea a “historic mission.” He should pay better attention to history. This mission is doomed to failure, and not only because of sanctions. Experts warn that even if the bridge now under construction can be finished, its chances of standing for […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 10, 2017

Negotiating with Russia: A Scenario for Success

By Stephen Blank

Despite the flood of post-election pundits advising President-elect Donald Trump on how to approach Russia, few have offered any understanding of Moscow’s aims. But Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government has not hidden what it wants. It seeks an end to sanctions, recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, demilitarization of NATO in the Baltic and […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jan 9, 2017

Walk Down My Block in Kyiv and Take Ukraine’s Economic Pulse

By James Brooke

When assessing Ukraine, armchair economists love the macro perspective: sweeping views based on large data sets. Let’s look at the micro. Despite the fresh snow, let’s walk my 150-meter long block on Rohnidynska Street and take the pulse of Ukraine’s economy. One year after I signed my apartment lease, six original businesses survive on my […]

Ukraine