Transatlantic Dialogue Center

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🗓 TDC Event | LMF 2026: How journalism can rebuild trust in polarized societies On 14–16 May 2026, the Transatlantic Dialogue Center welcomed Americo Martins, Senior International Correspondent and International Affairs Analyst at CNN Brasil, to Lviv for a program combining a public discussion at Lviv Media Forum 2026 with meetings focused on Ukraine’s resilience and recovery. At LMF 2026, Americo Martins joined Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk (Public Interest Journalism Lab) for a conversation on what it takes for quality media to remain credible and "win back" audiences in polarized environments. Key points discussed: 🔹 How journalism can stay trusted when public debate becomes increasingly polarized 🔹 Why anti-corruption reporting is essential, yet can be weaponized by populists and fuel cynicism when "everything feels corrupt" 🔹 Why Ukraine is difficult to sustain as a story in Brazil amid war fatigue and competing crises 🔹 Why human-centered reporting often travels further than geopolitics alone In Lviv, Américo Martins also met with Olga Rudnieva and visited the Superhumans Center to learn more about Ukraine’s long-term recovery needs — and how the evolution of the war changes the nature of injuries, shaping rehabilitation and prosthetics demand. 🤝 We sincerely thank NGO Resilient Ukraine for organizing this meeting, and Victoria Tsaider for coordinating the visit. The meetings were supported by TDC’s Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program team: Oleksandr Slyvchuk, Alina Rohach, and Bohdana Batsko. This project was supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.

📘 Bi-Weekly Analysis | When courts act fast, disinformation moves faster Europe’s elections are facing a new kind of security risk: legal safeguards can be flipped into "proof" that democracy was stolen — and the narrative travels across borders in weeks. 🔎 TDC’s new analysis "The Romanian Scenario as a Security Risk: How Transnational Election Narratives Threaten Institutional Trust in Europe" explains how Romania’s 2024 first-round annulment was repackaged online into a simple conspiracy frame — and then reused in election debates in Czechia and Poland, amplified through TikTok, X, and Telegram. 🔑 Key takeaway: the real dilemma is double-edged. Democracies must counter interference — but without triggering the legitimacy crisis disinformation networks are trying to manufacture. 🖇 Read the full analysis in the attached PDF. ✍️ TDC is looking for interns for the Research Department. If you are a student (BA 3–4 year or MA) and want mentorship in analytical writing with an opportunity to publish — send your CV and a short motivation letter to daryna@tdcenter.org.

🔎 Ukraine’s post-war recovery may depend on one basic factor: housing In our new analysis "Secondary Real Estate Markets and Alternatives in a Post-War Recovery Context", we explain why the challenge is not only rebuilding — but scaling affordable, well-governed housing fast enough to make voluntary return realistic. With the EU’s Temporary Protection expected to end in 2027 and support in host countries shrinking, stable housing and income will shape whether millions can stay in Europe legally — or face pressure to return. 📍Key takeaways are in the slides. Read the full article via the link in the comments.

🗞️ TDC in the media | NATO faces a transatlantic stress test amid growing Alliance tensions In a comment for La Tercera (a daily newspaper published in Chile), Maksym Chebotarov, Coordinator of the U.S.–Ukraine Partnership Program at the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, assessed rising strains inside NATO as disagreements grow between the United States and its allies over the conflict with Iran. Key points from Chebotarov’s analysis: 🔹 A near-term U.S. withdrawal from NATO is not a realistic or probable scenario — the U.S. benefits from its presence in allied countries through airfields, command-and-control structures, joint maritime patrols, joint manufacturing cycles, standardized equipment, and a shared perception of threats. 🔹 At the same time, NATO has "lost some margin of error and credibility" from the perspective of U.S. leadership — but allies still have a window of opportunity for a "second chance". 🔹 The burden-sharing debate is increasingly becoming a practical dilemma shaped by differing threat perceptions and diverging assessments of strategic priorities. 🔹 Adversaries do not need NATO to collapse — they only need to believe the Alliance will hesitate and become politically paralyzed instead of responding to immediate defense and deterrence needs. 🔗 Read the full piece via the link in the comments. If you would like to receive expert commentary from our team, please contact us at info@tdcenter.org.

What’s inside this week’s briefing? Key developments you shouldn’t miss ⬇️ 🌐 International Situation • Ukraine and the EU initialed a memorandum on €8.35B in macro-financial assistance as part of a €90B loan facility. • The EU, Canada, and partners expanded sanctions over Russia’s deportation and militarization of Ukrainian children, while the next EU package is expected to target the shadow fleet, stolen grain exports, and Russian banks. • Ukraine rejected Germany’s proposal for a transitional EU associate status without voting rights, insisting on full-fledged membership negotiations. • The U.S. approved a potential $100M+ sale of components for Hawk air defense systems, while Washington is also exploring joint testing of Ukrainian battle-tested defense technologies. 📍 Situation at the Front • Combat intensity remained extremely high, with 216–253 engagements per day, confirming the continuation of Russia’s large-scale offensive pressure. • The main axis of fighting runs along the Pokrovsk–Kostiantynivka–Huliaipole line. • Ukraine continued systematic strikes on Russian fuel, logistics, command-and-control, and military-industrial infrastructure, including oil refineries, pumping stations, command posts, ammunition depots, and UAV control centers. ⚠️ Shelling & Strikes • Russia sustained mass aerial attacks throughout the week, regularly launching over 100 UAVs overnight. • The largest attack since the start of the full-scale invasion targeted Kyiv on the night of May 23–24, combining hundreds of UAVs and missiles in a massive strike on the capital and the region. • Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Donetsk, Odesa, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv oblasts also suffered heavy strikes and civilian casualties. 🕊 Humanitarian Situation • The UN reported that at least 15,850 civilians, including 791 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, while more than 44,800 have been injured. • Russia’s militarization of Ukrainian children continues in occupied territories, including transfers to military-patriotic camps and the expansion of propaganda-driven youth structures. • Save Ukraine and Bring Kids Back UA helped rescue another 10 children and teenagers from occupied territories. • Italy announced a new €10M contribution to support the restoration and stabilization of Ukraine’s energy sector. 🇺🇦 Read the full briefing on happenings in Ukraine for May 17 - 23, 2026 🇬🇧 English 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dmNVjd78 🇪🇸 Spanish 🔗https://lnkd.in/d_H3ykpA 🇩🇪 German 🔗https://lnkd.in/dpGGVp3f 🇨🇳 Chinese (Simplified) 🔗https://lnkd.in/dnjCfWdX 🇹🇼 Chinese (Traditional) 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dc7aNeMJ

⚠️ Throughout the week, Russia carried out near-daily mass drone and missile attacks across Ukraine. On the night of May 18 alone, air defense neutralized 4 missiles and 503 UAVs, while strikes and debris were recorded across dozens of locations. On May 24, Russia launched the largest aerial attack on Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion. 🔺 In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, at least 5 people were killed and 121 injured, including children. Massive strikes damaged residential buildings, enterprises, critical infrastructure, and a mosque in Dnipro. 🔺 In Kherson Oblast, at least 4 people were killed and 77 injured. Russian drone, artillery, and air strikes damaged apartment buildings, private homes, civilian infrastructure, and a church. 🔺 In Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, 2 people were killed and 62 injured, including a child and an infant, during the massive May 24 attack. Residential areas, schools, shopping and logistics infrastructure were damaged across the capital and the region. 🔺 In Donetsk Oblast, at least 5 people were killed and multiple civilians injured. Russian strikes using FAB bombs, UAVs, and MLRS attacks damaged residential buildings, educational facilities, and infrastructure in Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka. 🔺 In Sumy Oblast, at least 5 civilians were killed and more than 10 injured. Russia attacked border communities with UAVs, artillery, and guided bombs, including a drone strike on a funeral procession near Sumy. 🔺 In Chernihiv Oblast, 2 people were killed and 30 injured. Ballistic missile strikes and drone attacks damaged homes, infrastructure, businesses, and vehicles, including police transport in Novhorod-Siverskyi. 💔 Russia continues escalating strikes on civilian areas and critical infrastructure across Ukraine, causing mounting civilian casualties and widespread destruction far beyond the frontline. 🔗 Want to stay updated on all the key developments affecting Ukraine through concise weekly summaries in Ukrainian? Subscribe to TDC’s Telegram channel (link in the comments).

🗓 TDC Event | What does Ukraine’s long-term security actually depend on — beyond the frontline? On May 13, 2026, the Transatlantic Dialogue Center hosted a closed-door roundtable discussion in Kyiv titled "The Future of Ukraine’s Security: Epicenter of War and Peace" (vol. 3). The event brought together experts from the Hudson Institute and representatives of American business and medical/humanitarian associations, alongside leading voices from Ukrainian think tanks, civil society, and the political and private sectors. Key themes covered during the discussion: 🔹 shifting global security dynamics and what they mean for Ukraine 🔹 transatlantic cooperation and political-strategic coordination 🔹 long-term scenarios, resilience, and sustainable outcomes 🔹 defense-related planning, capabilities, and cooperation formats 🔹 industrial capacity, innovation, and investment needed for sustained resilience 🔹 critical infrastructure, recovery and reconstruction, and the role of civil society in wartime adaptation and reform 📍 Key takeaway: Ukraine’s security trajectory is shaped not only by battlefield developments, but by the durability of transatlantic coordination and long-term capacity-building across defense, institutions, and society. 🤝 We are grateful to all participants for a substantive and trusted exchange. Special thanks to the Fund "Safe Ukraine 2030", Sayenko Kharenko, and personally Elena Sukmanova for the venue and for supporting this vital discussion.

🗓️ TDC Event | Closed-door discussion in Madrid on Ukraine’s red lines and peace prospects 🇪🇸🇺🇦 On May 21, the Transatlantic Dialogue Center (TDC) took part in a closed-door meeting at ATREVIA’s offices in Madrid to discuss Ukraine’s red lines and the prospects for peace with Russia — at a critical moment for European security. 🎙️ Oleksandr Slyvchuk, Coordinator of the Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program at TDC, joined a high-level strategic conversation held under the Chatham House Rule, bringing together representatives from the private sector (including the defence industry), military professionals, members of Spain’s Congress of Deputies and Senate, and academia. Speakers included: 🔹 Francisco J. Girao, Director of Defence, Security and Aerospace at ATREVIA 🔹 Nicolás Castellano Flores, Journalist at CADENA SER   🔹 Nicolás de Pedro, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Statecraft (London)   🔹 Juan Rodríguez Garat, Admiral (Ret.) of the Spanish Navy 🤝 We are grateful to ATREVIA for hosting and supporting the organisation of this meeting, and we thank all participants for a substantive exchange and for sharing insights relevant to both public and private stakeholders in Spain and Europe.

🎙️ New interview | Unmanned Ground Vehicles and the new reality of the "strike environment" in Ukraine On April 29, 2026, Maksym Chebotarov, U.S.–Ukraine Partnership Program Coordinator at the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, spoke with Vladyslav Urubkov, Division Lead at the Military Department of the "Come Back Alive" Foundation, about how UGVs are being used under real battlefield conditions. In a war where drones have expanded the "kill zone" far beyond the frontline, UGVs are increasingly becoming a practical survivability tool — not a futuristic concept. Key takeaways: 🔹 UGVs are used first and foremost to preserve personnel, reducing repeated exposure on the most dangerous routes 🔹 Logistics and evacuation are the dominant missions today (resupply, casualty evacuation, recovery)    🔹 The "kill zone" is mutual and is reshaping infantry practice — smaller forward presence, greater importance of support functions (maintenance, communications, route reconnaissance) 🔹 Connectivity is the main operational bottleneck: a UGV is only as effective as its control link, making resilient communications a strategic priority 🔹 The biggest scaling challenge is selecting and scaling what works, not producing more prototypes — and support is most effective when delivered as capability packages (platforms, power systems, spare parts, training, and maintenance) If you are following how modern forces adapt to high-intensity warfare — this conversation is a strong practical lens. 📺 Watch the full interview and read the details via the link in the comments.