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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 8, 2026

Ukrainian drone strikes are disarming Russia’s energy weapon

By Ana Lejava

For years, Russia wielded its energy capacity as a weapon against its neighbors to manipulate, coerce, and control. Ukraine’s strategic bombing campaign is now turning this energy weapon against Moscow itself, writes Ana Lejava.

Central Asia Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 8, 2026

Putin welcomes Trump’s peace envoys but has no intention of ending the war

By Peter Dickinson

Trump’s envoys continue to discuss win-win scenarios, but Putin is playing a zero sum game. His invasion of Ukraine is not a land grab or a geopolitical real estate deal. It is an attempt to reverse the Soviet collapse and revive the Russian Empire, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Sep 3, 2026

Putin cannot defeat NATO but he could divide and discredit the alliance

By Peter Dickinson

If Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attack NATO, his goal will be to divide and discredit the alliance rather than actually defeating it, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Sep 3, 2026

Russia is trying to bully Europe into abandoning Ukraine

By Maksym Beznosiuk, Will Dixon

Russia is escalating its campaign of so-called “grey zone” aggression against Europe as Putin attempts to intimidate EU leaders and deter further support for Ukraine, write Maksym Beznosiuk and Will Dixon.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Sep 1, 2026

For Putin, the ‘root cause’ of the war is the existence of independent Ukraine

By Kateryna Odarchenko

Moscow claims to be ready for peace once the "root causes" of the Russia-Ukraine War are addressed, but Putin's demands confirm that he believes the "root cause" of the war is the existence of an independent Ukraine, writes Kateryna Odarchenko.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Sep 1, 2026

Europe should already start planning for a post-Lukashenka Belarus

By Viktar Baranau

There is nothing about today’s Belarus that suggests a country on the verge of change. Nevertheless, European policymakers would be well-advised to begin preparing for a post-Lukashenka Belarus now, in order to have a plan in place when the moment of transition arrives, writes Viktar Baranau.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2026

Ukrainians are not superheroes with endless powers of resilience

By Lauren Van Metre, Elena Davlikanova

By celebrating Ukrainian resilience as an almost superhuman quality, the international community risks obscuring the much less glamorous reality that Ukrainians are actually ordinary people who have endured extraordinary violence for far too long, write Lauren Van Metre and Elena Davlikanova.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2026

Drone parade showcases Ukraine’s remarkable military transformation

By Mykola Bielieskov

Ukraine celebrated Independence Day this week with a novel military parade made up exclusively of unmanned systems, underlining the country’s emergence as a global leader in the field of drone warfare, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2026

Russia’s war will not end until Putin accepts Ukrainian independence

By Peter Dickinson

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is pursuing longstanding Russian imperial objectives in Ukraine and will not stop until he is forced to accept the irreversible reality of an independent Ukrainian state, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Aug 25, 2026

A cultural renaissance is reshaping national identity in wartime Ukraine

By Davis Richardson

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is fueling a defiant cultural outpouring that is redefining and strengthening Ukrainian national identity in ways that challenge centuries of Kremlin imperialism, writes Davis Richardson.

Civil Society Conflict

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UkraineAlert

May 12, 2023

Andriy Yermak: Italy is defending common European values in Ukraine

By Andriy Yermak

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is right to say that helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian invasion is about freedom, justice, and common values, writes the head of Ukraine's Office of the President, Andriy Yermak.

Conflict Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

May 11, 2023

Britain becomes first country to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles

By Peter Dickinson

Britain has confirmed it is providing Ukraine with long-range missiles. The decision is a major milestone in international efforts to support the Ukrainian fight back against Russia’s ongoing invasion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

May 11, 2023

Greater clarity is needed in US policy toward Ukraine

By Michael F. Oppenheimer

The US has been instrumental in rallying international support for Ukraine, but the Biden administration still needs to clarify whether it views the Russian invasion as a pivotal moment in world politics, writes Michael F. Oppenheimer.

Conflict Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

May 11, 2023

Deciphering Vladimir Putin’s unspoken Victory Day message

By Alexander Motyl

Putin's unspoken Victory Day message: The seating arrangements at this week’s parade indicate that despite the military setbacks of the past 15 months, the Russian dictator is doubling down on his goal of subjugating Ukraine.

Conflict Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

May 9, 2023

Putin’s embarrassing one-tank parade hints at catastrophic losses in Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Putin has transformed Victory Day into a celebration of Russia's resurgence as a military superpower, but this year's embarrassing one-tank parade underlined the catastrophic scale of Russian losses in Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

May 9, 2023

Russia’s invasion fails to prevent progress in Ukraine’s energy sector

By Aura Sabadus

Russia's seven-month airstrike campaign against Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure has failed to derail Ukrainian progress toward greater energy sector integration with the EU, writes Aura Sabadus.

Conflict Energy Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 8, 2023

Russia’s last red line: Will the West help Ukraine liberate Crimea?

By Dennis Soltys

The Crimean question has become a litmus test for Ukraine’s Western partners; do they want Ukraine to win the war, or are they merely seeking to avoid an outright Russian victory?

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

May 4, 2023

Ukraine seeks more German support on Russia’s invasion and EU accession

By Alyona Getmanchuk

Many Ukrainians have been disappointed by Germany's cautious approach to countering Russian aggression against Ukraine and Berlin's preoccupation with avoiding anything that might provoke Putin, writes Alyona Getmanchuk.

Conflict Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

UkraineAlert

May 3, 2023

Ukrainians are inspired by Finland’s heroic past and NATO present

By Andriy Yermak

Ukrainians are inspired by Finland's record of resisting Russian imperial aggression and encouraged by the country's recent accession to NATO, writes the head of Ukraine's Office of the President, Andriy Yermak.

Conflict Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

May 2, 2023

How strong is Russian public support for the invasion of Ukraine?

By Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi

The Kremlin has worked hard to create the impression of overwhelming public support for the invasion of Ukraine but it remains difficult to gauge true levels of pro-war sentiment in today's Russia, writes Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi.

Civil Society Conflict