Stay Updated

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

Russian contempt for Ukraine paved the way for Putin’s disastrous invasion

UkraineAlert Jan 20, 2026

Ukraine’s best security guarantee is the ability to strike back inside Russia

By Serhii Kuzan

With Kyiv’s Western allies unlikely to risk war with Russia, Ukraine’s most realistic security guarantee remains a strong military coupled with the ability to strike targets deep inside Russia, writes Serhii Kuzan.
Conflict Defense Policy
Russian contempt for Ukraine paved the way for Putin’s disastrous invasion

UkraineAlert Jan 15, 2026

Veterans can shape the future of Ukrainian democracy

By Vasyl Sehin

The participation of military veterans in Ukraine’s political life has the potential to dramatically strengthen Ukrainian democracy and safeguard the country’s historic transition from centuries of Russian autocracy, writes Vasyl Sehin.
Conflict Democratic Transitions
Russian contempt for Ukraine paved the way for Putin’s disastrous invasion

UkraineAlert Jan 8, 2026

Ukraine’s robot army will be crucial in 2026 but drones can’t replace infantry

By David Kirichenko

Ukraine’s growing robot army of land drones will play a vital role in the country’s defense during 2026, but they are not wonder weapons and cannot serve as a miracle cure for Kyiv’s manpower shortages, writes David Kirichenko.
Artificial Intelligence Conflict

Latest analysis

UkraineAlert

Jul 13, 2023

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

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

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

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

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 <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert">Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti</span>

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 <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert" >Zachary Popovich, Michael Druckman</span>

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 <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert" >Oleksii Reznikov</span>

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 <span class="gta-embed–tax–expert gta-post-embed–tax–expert" >Oleksiy Goncharenko</span>

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

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

UkraineAlert

Jun 29, 2023

Putin’s Wagner weakness is a signal to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive

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

With the short-lived Wagner mutiny exposing Vladimir Putin’s weakness for all to see, the time has come for Ukraine's Western partners to provide the country with everything it needs to secure victory, writes Taras Kuzio.

Conflict Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

Jun 28, 2023

Wagner drama drags Belarus deeper into Russia’s wartime turbulence

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

News that Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin and many of his battle-hardened troops will be exiled to Belarus has sparked concerns that the country is being dragged further into Russia's wartime turmoil, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus Civil Society
Load More

spotlight

Resilience in the face of adversity

Ukraine’s transformation

Ukraine has moved tentatively toward an open society and market economy since independence. The country has held several democratic elections and made halting progress in addressing corruption and state control in its economy. Since the 2014 Maidan Revolution, Ukraine has undertaken significant governance and economic reform and moved decisively toward a Europe-Atlantic foreign policy. Since 2022, Ukraine has resiliently continued to advance some reforms despite fighting for its very existence against the full-scale Russian invasion.

Learn more about Ukraine
Russian contempt for Ukraine paved the way for Putin’s disastrous invasion

UkraineAlert Dec 5, 2024

Ukraine’s entrepreneurial class can drive the country’s economic recovery

The Ukrainian SME sector has demonstrated remarkable wartime resilience and is poised to be at the forefront of efforts to create a modern, innovative, postwar economy, writes Anton Waschuk.

Read More
Russian contempt for Ukraine paved the way for Putin’s disastrous invasion

UkraineAlert Oct 1, 2024

Ukraine needs international investors to maintain defense tech momentum

By Mykhailo Fedorov

Ukraine’s rapidly expanding defense tech sector can play a game-changing role in the war against Russia but Ukrainian companies need international investment, writes Ukraine’s Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
Artificial Intelligence Conflict
Russian contempt for Ukraine paved the way for Putin’s disastrous invasion

UkraineAlert Jun 13, 2024

Ukraine officially embraces English as historic westward pivot continues

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

By officially embracing English, Ukrainians aim to support their country’s historic pivot away from Moscow and return to the European community of nations, writes Oleksiy Goncharenko.
Civil Society Conflict

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.

Learn more

Follow us on social media
and support our work

support our work

Content

UkraineAlert

Apr 1, 2022

Russian contempt for Ukraine paved the way for Putin’s disastrous invasion

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Anders Åslund </span>

The many miscalculations that paved the way for Vladimir Putin's disastrous invasion of Ukraine are rooted in longstanding Russian ignorance of Ukraine and contempt for all things Ukrainian, writes Anders Åslund.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 31, 2022

Ukrainian civil society can help hold Russia accountable for war crimes

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Danielle Johnson </span>

The quest for international justice over the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is already underway and should seek to involve Ukrainian civil society, argues Danielle Johnson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 31, 2022

Putin will win unless the West sends Ukraine offensive weapons

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert">Alyona Getmanchuk</span>

Western weapons have played a key role in helping Ukraine to inflict punishing losses on Putin's invasion force but Russia may still secure a bloody victory if the democratic world fails to accelerate arms deliveries.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Mar 29, 2022

Russia in retreat: Putin appears to admit defeat in the Battle for Kyiv

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

Kremlin officials have announced plans to withdraw troops from the Kyiv region in what is widely being seen as a major setback for Putin's war and tacit recognition of Russia’s failure to seize the Ukrainian capital.

Conflict National Security

UkraineAlert

Mar 28, 2022

No compromises with the Kremlin: Why we must denazify Putin’s Russia

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Kateryna Zarembo</span>

Russian President Vladimir Putin claims to be engaged in a crusade to "denazify" democratic Ukraine, but in reality it is his own increasingly authoritarian regime that is in urgent need of "denazification," writes Kateryna Zarembo.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Mar 27, 2022

Russian energy embargo: Europe must stop financing Putin’s Ukraine war 

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

Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko has accused European countries of funding Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and called for an immediate embargo on all Russian energy exports in order to stop the war.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Mar 25, 2022

Ukraine’s southern capital Odesa prepares to repel Russian invasion

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Oleksiy Goncharenko</span>

Vladimir Putin must take Odesa if he wishes to subjugate the whole of Ukraine but the predominantly Russian-speaking Black Sea port city is in defiant mood amid preparations to repel the Russian invaders.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Mar 23, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine War can end in only two ways: Genocide or defeat

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

Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he regards Ukrainians as Russians and does not recognize Ukraine's right to exist. Unless he is defeated, his Ukraine invasion may deteriorate into a genocide in the heart of Europe.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Mar 21, 2022

Vladimir Putin’s criminal war has killed the myth of Russian-Ukrainian unity

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Alexander Khrebet</span>

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was meant to secure Vladimir Putin’s place in history and reunify what Moscow views as the divided lands of historic Russia. Instead, it has killed the myth of Russian-Ukrainian unity.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Mar 21, 2022

Fear of provoking Putin is leading the Western world toward disaster

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Ilya Timtchenko</span>

Western policy toward Russia has long been shaped by fear of provoking Vladimir Putin but this caution has only served to encourage further acts of Russian aggression culminating in the current war in Ukraine.

Conflict European Union
Load More