[1][2] A columnist for Radio Liberty and a regular author of analytical articles in Ukrainian publications on political and historical topics.

[1] Since 1989, he works as the analyst of the Nezavisimaya Gazeta, specializing in post-Soviet countries, and cooperates with the Russian and Ukrainian services of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

[1] As a free-lance journalist he has been publishing articles in Russian newspapers Russkiy Telegraf, Kommersant, Vedomosti, Vremya MN, Vremya Novostei, Moskovskiye Novosti, Obschaya gazeta, Ukrainian The Day, Korrespondent, Profil, Delovaya Nedelya, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, Kontrakty, Novynar, Glavred, Latvian Biznes & Baltia, Telegraf, Estonian Estonia, Postimees, Polish Polityka, Gazeta Wyborcza, Polska, Belarusian BelGazeta.

[8] In late January 2014 he temporarily relocated to Warsaw, Poland, after receiving credible information from his contacts in Russia about a planned provocation against him, aimed at discrediting the Euromaidan movement.

[9] In July 2015 Portnikov became a member of the supervisory board Ukrainian National Council for TV and Radio Broadcasting as a representative of the political party People's Front.