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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

Jan 13, 2023

Ukraine struggles to repair power grid as Russian airstrikes continue

By Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti

Efforts to repair damage to Ukraine's electricity system caused by Russia's strategic bombing campaign are being hampered by a shortage of critical transformers, writes Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Jan 12, 2023

The West reaps multiple benefits from backing Ukraine against Russia

By Taras Kuzio

Ukraine is often viewed as being heavily reliant on Western support but the relationship is mutually beneficial and provides the West with enhanced security along with valuable intelligence, writes Taras Kuzio.

Conflict Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Jan 12, 2023

Post-war Ukraine needs a smart digital transformation strategy

By Anatoly Motkin

The war with Russia is far from over but it is important to begin looking ahead and setting the stage for Ukraine's post-war digital transformation, writes StrategEast Center president Anatoly Motkin.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 10, 2023

Putin’s faltering Ukraine invasion exposes limits of Russian propaganda

By Victor Tregubov

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was supposed to be a short and victorious war. Instead, it has transformed him into a pariah and shattered Russia’s reputation as a military superpower. How could he have got it so wrong?

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Jan 8, 2023

Ukraine’s nation-building progress spells doom for Putin’s Russian Empire

By Dennis Soltys

Many observers seek to blame Putin's Ukraine invasion on his imperial ambitions or Kremlin fears over NATO expansion, but in reality the war is a desperate Russian response to Ukraine's historic nation-building progress.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 8, 2023

Rebuilding Ukraine the right way

By Stephen Blank

Ukraine's post-war reconstruction will be one of the largest international undertakings of the twenty-first century. The Ukrainian authorities must begin laying the foundations for future success before Putin is defeated.

Conflict Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Jan 4, 2023

Ukraine’s growing veteran community will shape the country’s future

By Aleksander Cwalina, Benton Coblentz

Ukraine's rapidly expanding veteran community can make a major contribution to the country's post-war future but will require a range of support measures in order to reintegrate into civilian life successfully.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jan 3, 2023

Putin is preparing for a long war

By Alexander Motyl

Vladimir Putin used his traditional New Year address on December 31 to mobilize the Russian public for a long war in Ukraine while warning that the West is intent on "destroying Russia," writes Alexander Motyl.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jan 2, 2023

Digitalization and transparency are vital for Ukraine’s reconstruction

By Oleksandra Azarkhina

Ukraine's reconstruction will depend on digitalization and the recruitment of motivated personnel from the military, writes Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development Oleksandra Azarkhina.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Dec 26, 2022

Eight reasons for Ukrainian optimism in 2023

By Brian Mefford

Ukrainians have experienced an incredibly traumatic year but the country enters 2023 with reason for cautious optimism that Vladimir Putin's criminal invasion can be decisively defeated, writes Brian Mefford.

European Union NATO

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UkraineAlert

Nov 29, 2022

Former moderate Dmitry Medvedev becomes Putin’s pro-war cheerleader

By Alexander Motyl, Dennis Soltys

Once seen in the West as a source of hope for better ties with Russia, former president Dmitry Medvedev has emerged since February 2022 as a pro-war cheerleader who regularly demonizes Ukraine on social media.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Nov 25, 2022

The West must urgently overcome its fear of provoking Putin

By Daniel Bilak

Western leaders insist they will stand with Ukraine until Russia's invasion is defeated but fear of provoking Putin continues to constrain the democratic world's response to a war that has already cost tens of thousands of lives.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Nov 23, 2022

Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis: Putin is no Khrushchev

By Harlan Ullman

The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis may offer some useful insights as Western leaders seek the right response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent nuclear saber-rattling over Ukraine, writes Harlan Ullman.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Nov 22, 2022

Putin’s peace ploy is a ruse to rearm

By Dennis Soltys

Russia is currently calling for a return to the negotiating table but Ukrainian leaders are convinced Vladimir Putin is merely seeking to buy time in order to regroup and rearm before the next phase of his invasion.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Nov 22, 2022

Ukraine must be allowed to strike back against targets inside Russia

By Ira Straus

In order to defeat Putin and end the war, Ukraine must be allowed to strike back inside Russia. At present, this is not possible due to restrictions imposed by Ukraine's overly cautious international allies, writes Ira Straus.

Arms Control Conflict

UkraineAlert

Nov 20, 2022

Putin’s invasion has strengthened the case for Ukrainian NATO membership

By Taras Kuzio

Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion has highlighted the dangers of allowing Ukraine to exist in a geopolitical gray zone and strengthened arguments for the country's post-war NATO integration, writes Taras Kuzio.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Nov 17, 2022

Kherson euphoria highlights the folly of a premature peace with Putin

By Peter Dickinson

Footage of the euphoric scenes in liberated Kherson should be compulsory viewing for anyone who still believes in the possibility of a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, argues Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Nov 16, 2022

Ukrainian victory can deal a decisive blow to Russian imperialism

By Danylo Lubkivsky

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is an attempt to drag the world back to an era of imperial aggression. The best way to make sure he fails is to provide Ukraine with the arms and financial support it needs to win the war.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Nov 14, 2022

Odesa rejects Catherine the Great as Putin’s invasion makes Russia toxic

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

Work is underway to dismantle a controversial monument to Russian Empress Catherine the Great in Ukrainian Black Sea port city Odesa as Vladimir Putin's invasion forces Ukrainians to rethink historic ties with Russia.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Nov 14, 2022

Ukraine needs urgent help to counter Putin’s energy infrastructure attacks

By Aura Sabadus

Ukraine urgently needs international support in order to counter Moscow's campaign of airstrikes against the country's energy infrastructure and prevent Putin from freezing Ukrainians into submission this winter.

Conflict European Union