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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 12, 2023

Russia seeks to legitimize occupation of Ukraine with sham elections

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert" >Mercedes Sapuppo, Olivia Yanchik</span>

In early September, Russia staged sham parliamentary elections in occupied regions of southern and eastern Ukraine as Moscow attempted to legitimize its earlier illegal annexation of five Ukrainian provinces.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Sep 12, 2023

US expected to decide soon on long-range missiles for Ukraine

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert">Benton Coblentz</span>

ATACMS missiles would greatly increase Ukraine’s ability to strike the logistical networks supporting Russia's invasion and would make it increasingly difficult for Putin’s army to operate inside Ukraine, writes Benton Coblentz.

Conflict Maritime Security

UkraineAlert

Sep 7, 2023

Ukraine’s partners cannot remove Putin but they can stop legitimizing him

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert" >Richard Cashman</span>

As long as Vladimir Putin is in power, Russia will remain a rogue state. Western policies that legitimize him through fear of a potential post-Putin Russia are perverse, writes Richard Cashman.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Sep 6, 2023

Belarus dictator weaponizes passports in new attack on exiled opposition

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert">Hanna Liubakova</span>

Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka has banned the country's embassies from issuing or renewing passports in a move that critics see as his latest escalation against Belarus's exiled pro-democracy opposition, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus Civil Society

UkraineAlert

Sep 5, 2023

Removal of defense minister shows wartime Ukraine is changing

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert">Melinda Haring</span>

The removal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov in early September came following a series of minor but damaging corruption scandals and signaled a zero tolerance approach to graft in wartime Ukraine, writes Melinda Haring.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 4, 2023

Jewish president picks Muslim defense minister: Ukraine’s diverse leadership debunks Russia’s “Nazi” slurs

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert">Peter Dickinson</span>

Ukraine now has a Jewish president and a Muslim minister of defense, underlining the diversity of the country's leadership while exposing the absurdity of Russia's “Nazi Ukraine” propaganda, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 31, 2023

Russia is losing in Ukraine but winning in Georgia

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert" >Giorgi Kandelaki</span>

If Putin is able to reassert Russian dominance over Georgia while continuing to occupy 20% of the country, he will be encouraged to believe that a similar outcome will eventually prove possible in Ukraine, writes Giorgi Kandelaki.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 31, 2023

Putin’s Russia must not be allowed to normalize nuclear blackmail

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert">Olivia Yanchik</span>

Vladimir Putin has used nuclear threats to intimidate the West and reduce the flow of military aid to Ukraine. If this trend does not change, Russia will succeed in normalizing nuclear blackmail as a foreign policy tool, writes Olivia Yanchik.

Arms Control Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 29, 2023

Ukraine’s remarkable resilience may prove decisive in long war with Russia

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert">Peter Dickinson</span>

With hopes of a decisive Russian military victory fading fast, Vladimir Putin is pinning his hopes on outlasting the West and breaking Ukraine's will to resist. However, he may have fatally underestimated Ukrainian resilience, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 27, 2023

Ukraine upgrades digital education efforts

By <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert" >Valeriya Ionan</span>

The full-scale Russian invasion has thrust Ukraine’s vibrant tech sector into the limelight and led to an upgrade of the country's flagship digital education and training initiative, writes Valeriya Ionan.

Conflict Digital Policy

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

Jul 28, 2022

Putin believed his own propaganda and fatally underestimated Ukraine

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Taras Kuzio</span>

Vladimir Putin likes to pose as an expert on all things Ukrainian but in reality his understanding of Ukraine is hopelessly distorted by propaganda that has led him to fatally underestimate Ukrainian resilience.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 27, 2022

Ukraine’s tech excellence is playing a vital role in the war against Russia

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Valeriya Ionan </span>

Ukraine's tech sector excellence is playing a key role in the war against Russia by providing rapid solutions to frontline challenges in ways that the more traditional top-down Russian military simply cannot match. 

Conflict Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Jul 26, 2022

More Russians must face personal sanctions over Ukraine invasion

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Oleksandr Novikov</span>

As the world seeks ways to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Oleksandr Novikov of Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention says dramatically expanded personal sanctions are the most effective available tool.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Jul 25, 2022

Ukrainian footballers prepare to defy Putin with wartime premier league

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Andrew Todos </span>

The Ukrainian Premier League is preparing to begin the 2022-23 season in August despite Russia's ongoing invasion of the country as Ukrainians turn to football to demonstrate their determination to defy the Kremlin.

Central Europe Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 21, 2022

Russian gas attack: Europe must not give in to Putin’s energy blackmail

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert">Diane Francis</span>

The CEO of Ukrainian energy giant Naftogaz has told European leaders to prepare for a complete Russian gas cut off and warned that any concessions to the Kremlin will only serve to encourage further energy blackmail.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Jul 20, 2022

Ukraine can win

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert">Richard D. Hooker, Jr.</span>

If the West takes active measures to ensure Ukraine can't defeat Putin's Russia, it won't. But if it commits to supplying the range of capabilities required for modern, high intensity warfare, Ukraine can win, and it will win.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Jul 20, 2022

Ukraine confronts Kremlin infiltration threat at unreformed state bodies

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert">Andrew D’Anieri</span>

Last week's dismissal by President Zelenskyy of two key figures from Ukraine's state security and prosecution services has highlighted the threat posed by Kremlin agents infiltrating unreformed Ukrainian state bodies.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 19, 2022

Ukraine’s vibrant civil society deserves key role in post-war transformation

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Mykhailo Zhernakov</span>

Ukraine's vibrant civil society sector is the country's secret weapon in its civilizational struggle against Putin's Russia and should be a key focus of support efforts as the international community looks to rebuild Ukraine.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2022

The West must take urgent steps to prevent Ukrainian economic collapse

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Bate Toms</span>

Recent talk of a Ukrainian Marshall Plan for the post-war period is certainly welcome but Ukraine also needs action from the West without delay to avoid a potentially catastrophic economic collapse while the war continues.

Conflict Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Jul 18, 2022

Canada accused of betraying Ukraine and helping Russia break sanctions

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert">Diane Francis</span>

Canada is facing accusations of bowing to Kremlin blackmail after agreeing to lift sanctions imposed over Vladimir Putin's Ukraine invasion in order to secure Russian gas supplies to Germany.

Conflict Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion