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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

Jul 18, 2023

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was never about NATO

By Peter Dickinson

Putin’s relaxed response to the NATO accession of Finland and Sweden proves that he knows NATO enlargement poses no security threat to Russia but has used the issue as a smokescreen for the invasion of Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2023

Putin’s biggest mistake was believing Ukrainians were really Russians

By Roman Solchanyk

Vladimir Putin insists Ukrainians and Russians are “one people” and appears to have genuinely believed his invading army would be welcomed. It is now clear this was a catastrophic miscalculation, writes Roman Solchanyk.

Civil Society
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2023

After Wagner: Could the Russian army now turn against Putin?

By Mercedes Sapuppo

With dozens of senior Russian officers reportedly detained following the Wagner revolt and a senior commander dismissed this week for criticizing the conduct of the Ukraine invasion, could Putin face a mutiny within the Russian army?

Conflict
Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2023

Disappointed but not discouraged: Ukrainians react to NATO summit

By Peter Dickinson

The 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius failed to produce a breakthrough toward Ukrainian membership but did underline international support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia’s invasion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Jul 11, 2023

NATO summit leaves Ukrainians frustrated

By Peter Dickinson

The 2023 NATO summit failed to deliver on hopes for a clear commitment on future Ukrainian membership, leaving many in Ukraine deeply frustrated by the apparent lack of urgency among the country’s allies, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Corruption

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2023

Moldova must seize opportunity to end energy dependence on Russia

By Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti

With the Russian army struggling in Ukraine and Putin weakened on the domestic front, Moldova may never have a better opportunity to end its energy sector dependence on Russia, writes Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti.

Conflict
Energy Markets & Governance

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2023

Why local officials must participate in Ukraine’s reconstruction

By Zachary Popovich, Michael Druckman

As the international community continues preparations for the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine it is vital to maximize engagement with Ukrainian local authorities, write Zachary Popovich and Michael Druckman.

Conflict
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Jul 7, 2023

Oleksii Reznikov: Ukraine’s defense doctrine will define country’s future

By Oleksii Reznikov

Ukraine’s defense doctrine will define the country’s future and must reflect unique Ukrainian combat experience while making the most of domestic capabilities, writes Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov.

Conflict
Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jul 6, 2023

Wagner fallout: Time to begin preparing for a post-Putin Russia

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

As we assess the fallout from the Wagner revolt, it no longer makes sense to be afraid of a new Russian collapse. On the contrary, the time has come to begin preparing for the possibility of a post-Putin Russia, writes Oleksiy Goncharenko.

Conflict
Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jul 6, 2023

Wagner putsch is symptomatic of Russia’s ongoing imperial decline

By Richard Cashman, Lesia Ogryzko

The attempted putsch by Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his Wagner troops in late June is perhaps best understood as a symptom of Russia’s ongoing imperial decline, writes Richard Cashman and Lesia Ogryzko.

Civil Society
Conflict

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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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UkraineAlert

Dec 14, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s failing invasion is fueling the rise of Russia’s far right

By Stanislav Shalunov

As Vladimir Putin's disastrous invasion continues to unravel, battlefield defeats in Ukraine are having a radicalizing effect on Russian domestic audiences and fueling the rise of the country's ultra-nationalist far right.

Conflict
Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Dec 13, 2022

Vladimir Putin: 2022 Loser of the Year

By Peter Dickinson

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is the biggest loser of 2022. His disastrous decision to invade Ukraine has left Russia internationally isolated and shattered the country's reputation as a military superpower.

Belarus
Central Asia

UkraineAlert

Dec 12, 2022

Fresh challenges threaten to reverse Ukraine’s judicial reform progress

By Mykhailo Zhernakov, Nestor Barchuk

Ukrainians are currently fighting against Russian invasion but far from the battlefield judicial reforms that hold the key to Ukraine’s transformation into a nation governed by the rule of law are at risk of unraveling.

Civil Society
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Dec 9, 2022

Zelenskyy urges special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging the international community to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression in order to prosecute Russia’s political and military leadership.

Conflict
European Union

UkraineAlert

Dec 8, 2022

Shakhtar’s young Ukrainians roar as foreign soccer stars flee Putin’s war

By David Kirichenko

Ukrainian soccer giant Shakhtar Donetsk suffered an exodus of foreign stars following Russia's full-scale invasion but the club managed to mount an impressive Champions League campaign by relying on young Ukrainian talent.

Conflict
Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Dec 7, 2022

Melinda Haring: Ukraine’s unquenchable thirst for freedom inspires me

By Melinda Haring

Melinda Haring signs off on eight years at the Atlantic Council with love letter to Ukraine recounting how the East European country captured her heart with its intoxicating lust for life and unquenchable thirst for freedom.

Civil Society
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Dec 6, 2022

Russia must stop being an empire if it wishes to prosper as a nation

By Taras Kuzio

Post-Soviet Russia never shed the imperial identity inherited from the Soviet and Czarist past but Putin's disastrous invasion of Ukraine could now set the stage for the emergence of a post-imperial Russian identity.

Central Asia
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Dec 5, 2022

Russia’s Ukraine invasion is fueling an energy crisis in neighboring Moldova

By Alexander St. Leger

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is helping to fuel an energy crisis in neighboring Moldova where an over-reliance on Kremlin energy imports has long served to make the country vulnerable to Russian political pressure.

Conflict
Corruption

UkraineAlert

Dec 1, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s Ukrainian Genocide: Nobody can claim they did not know

By Peter Dickinson

The overwhelming evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine together with the openly genocidal intent on display in Moscow mean nobody claim they did not know about Putin's Ukrainian Genocide, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Nov 30, 2022

As Putin retreats in Ukraine, he is also losing Kazakhstan

By Kamila Auyezova

Putin's rapidly unraveling invasion of Ukraine is eroding Russian influence throughout the former Soviet Empire. This process of imperial retreat is nowhere more visible than in Kazakhstan, writes Kamila Auyezova.

Central Asia
China