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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

Sep 28, 2021

American author’s timely love letter to Odesa

By
Anthony Bartaway

American author Vladislav Davidzon's new book "From Odessa With Love" takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening tour of Ukraine's famously colorful and cosmopolitan Black Sea port city.


Resilience & Society


Ukraine


UkraineAlert

Sep 25, 2021

How village cheese is bringing Ukraine closer to Europe

By
Dmytro Tuzhanskyi

A village cheese-making initiative in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast is bringing a taste of Western Europe to the Ukrainian countryside and highlighting the possibilities of agricultural entrepreneurship.


Economy & Business


Resilience & Society


UkraineAlert

Sep 23, 2021

Zelenskyy slams UN inaction over Putin’s Ukraine war

By
Peter Dickinson

In a strongly worded address at the UN, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that failure to confront Russian aggression in Ukraine will have grave consequences for international security.


Conflict


Politics & Diplomacy


UkraineAlert

Sep 21, 2021

Rigged vote highlights growing gulf between Putin’s Russia and democratic Ukraine

By
Peter Dickinson

Russia's deeply flawed recent parliamentary election was a reminder of the growing gulf between the increasingly authoritarian country and the fledgling democratic political culture taking root in neighboring Ukraine.


Conflict


Democratic Transitions


UkraineAlert

Sep 20, 2021

Ukraine’s infrastructure upgrade set to continue

By
Peter Byrne

President Zelenskyy's Big Construction program, which aims to transform Ukraine's transport infrastructure through massive road construction works, is set to receive major funding in Ukraine's 2022 state budget.


Economy & Business


Ukraine


UkraineAlert

Sep 20, 2021

Why we must not recognize Russia’s fraudulent election

By
Oleksiy Goncharenko

Russia's parliamentary elections failed to meet even the most basic democratic standards and served to illustrate the country's slide into dictatorship under Vladimir Putin, says Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko


Corruption


Elections


UkraineAlert

Sep 17, 2021

Reloading Ukraine’s corporate governance reforms

By
Iaroslav Zhelezniak, Andriy Boytsun, Oleksandr Lysenko

Ukraine's corporate governance reforms have come under scrutiny this year following controversial developments at Naftogaz. Can new legislation get this important reform initiative back on track?


Economy & Business


Fiscal and Structural Reform


UkraineAlert

Sep 16, 2021

Why Ukraine’s Olympic bid could be a very smart move

By
Peter Dickinson

President Zelenskyy has set his sights on bringing the Winter Olympics to Ukraine. For a country seeking to emerge from international obscurity, hosting the Olympics offers a range of exciting opportunities.


Resilience & Society


Ukraine


UkraineAlert

Sep 16, 2021

America must lead the international response to Russia’s human rights crisis

By
Dave Elseroad

US President Joe Biden took an important step in Geneva towards supporting Russian human rights defenders. America must now follow this up with concrete action to punish Moscow's abuses.


Human Rights


Russia


UkraineAlert

Sep 15, 2021

Vladimir Putin accused of weaponizing Russian gas

By
Diane Francis

With construction work on Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline now complete, critics say Moscow is weaponizing gas deliveries to Europe in a bid to speed up the lengthy certification process.


European Union


Geopolitics & Energy Security

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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.

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Content

UkraineAlert

Dec 16, 2015

Should Ukraine Forget Its History?

By Alexander J. Motyl

On November 25, 2010, while on a state visit to Kyiv, Israel’s President Shimon Peres stated that, “If Ukrainians were to ask me for advice, I would say: forget history.” Coming from the president of a country steeped in history, the comment was at first glance bizarre. Directed at a country embroiled in seemingly endless […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2015

Thank You, George!

By Kateryna Smagliy

In his 2011 essay, “My Philanthropy,” George Soros described his approach to charitable giving. “I relish confronting harsh reality, and I am drawn to tackling seemingly insoluble problems,” he wrote. Indeed, it is with a consistent determination, generosity, and unwavering faith in Ukraine’s potential that Soros established the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) twenty-five years ago […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2015

Memo to Presidential Candidates: The Putin Problem Isn’t Going Away

By Terrell Jermaine Starr

Foreign-policy challenges will keep the next commander-in-chief up late. Analysts focus on the threat that Islamic State poses to the United States and its allies, but the Putin problem is unlikely to fade. As the candidates gear up for the next round of debates—slated for December 15 and 19—it’s time to take stock of the […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2015

Battle for Donetsk Airport: Haunting Documentary Captures Ukrainian Resilience

By Diane Francis

A haunting message from a Ukrainian soldier closes “Airport Donetsk,” a documentary about the 200-day siege that ended in January 2015. “I can’t sleep at all,” said the downcast survivor. “I see them…I see my guys in my dreams.” He was one of a dozen Ukrainians and Russians interviewed for this film by Radio Free […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 10, 2015

Russian Truckers Take to the Roads to Protest Tax, Declining Living Standards

By Sergey Aleksashenko

Hundreds of long-haul truck drivers have blocked Russia’s roads to protest a new national toll. The protest may cause changes in Russia’s political landscape and economic policy in the long-run, though its impact will be limited in the short-term. Even still, the protests are significant because they demonstrate an awakening of the Russian population and […]

Russia

UkraineAlert

Dec 9, 2015

Russian Military and Mercenaries Directly Implicated in Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners

By Halya Coynash

Ukrainian human rights activists believe that over 87 percent of Ukrainian soldiers and half the civilians who have been taken prisoner by Kremlin-backed, pro-Russian militants in the Donbas have been subjected to torture or ill treatment. Additionally, in over 40 percent of the so-called “interrogations,” key roles were played by mercenaries from the Russian Federation […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 8, 2015

Even in Theater, War and Displacement Has No Room in Ukraine

By Irena Chalupa

As I was walking up Kyiv’s colorful Andriyivsky descent on December 6, three explosions pierced the quiet evening. No one stopped examining the myriad souvenirs on sale in the booths lining the street, no one showed any fear or ran for cover. On the third explosion, one exasperated man exclaimed “Who the hell is blowing […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 8, 2015

Biden to Ukraine: “The United States stands firmly with the people of Ukraine”

By Melinda Haring

“Today Russia is occupying sovereign Ukrainian territory. Let me be crystal clear: the United States does not, will not, [and] never will recognize Russia’s attempt to annex the Crimea,” US Vice President Joe Biden said in a December 8 address to Ukraine’s parliament. The parliament gave Biden a standing ovation. Geoffrey Pyatt, US Ambassador to […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Dec 8, 2015

The IMF Outfoxes Putin: Policy Change Means Ukraine Can Receive More Loans

By Anders Åslund

Today the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reversed its “policy on not lending into arrears.” IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said in a statement that “the IMF’s executive board met today and agreed to change the current policy on non-toleration of arrears to official creditors.” Historically, the IMF has refused to lend to any country that has […]

Russia

UkraineAlert

Dec 8, 2015

Putin’s Goal is a New Yalta

By Aaron Korewa

I recently met with Ilya Yashin, a Russian opposition leader, political activist, and former colleague of the assassinated politician Boris Nemtsov. When I asked Yashin what the West could do to help those brave enough to defy the Russian regime, his main point was that governments and organizations must support Ukraine. The reason is obvious: […]

Russia Ukraine