Political Reform

Independent Ukraine’s free speech gains are under threat

By Kira Rudik

Allegations of state pressure on media have left many questioning President Zelenskyy's commitment to maintaining independent Ukraine's hard-fought free speech gains.

An Atlantic Council tribute to Fred Hiatt, champion of democracy

Atlantic Council experts honor the longtime Washington Post journalist and his legacy.

How anti-reform messages are replacing pro-Russian rhetoric on Ukrainian TV

By Oleksandr Yermakov, Olena Halushka

With openly pro-Russian propaganda no longer effective in today's Ukraine, the country's remaining Kremlin supporters are now focusing their efforts on promoting anti-Western narratives in the Ukrainian media.

Russian threat should revive Ukraine’s stalled domestic reform efforts

By Denis MacShane

The threat of a major escalation in Russian aggression should help revive Ukraine's stalled domestic reform efforts and push the country towards the transformation that Ukrainians have been demanding for decades.

The world must carefully engage with Afghanistan. Here’s how.

By Harris A. Samad

Ignoring Afghanistan would be a catastrophic mistake for the international community—as would be a rush to recognize the Taliban.

Transforming Ukraine into an international manufacturing hub

By Sergiy Tsivkach

Ukraine is taking steps to build on the country's huge potential as a major international manufacturing hub and is now seeking to attract international investment that can drive further economic growth.

Sudan’s ‘democratic transition is inevitable,’ says the country’s just-resigned foreign minister

By Katherine Golden

Al-Madhi warned that the political agreement signed Sunday by Hamdok and Sudan’s top general “was more supportive to the coup” than the pro-democracy movement.

Why wartime Ukraine’s defense minister must be a civilian

By Andriy Zagorodnyuk

The recent appointment of Oleksiy Reznikov as Ukraine’s new defense minister is a step in the right direction away from the Soviet model towards NATO standards of civilian control over the Ukrainian armed forces.