Claim OwnershipHistory in the Making: The War in Ukraine
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"History in the Making: The War in Ukraine" with Mark McNamee provides a comprehensive exploration of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Host Mark, drawing from his extensive background in Eastern European studies and professional experience, offers a nuanced perspective on the region's significance. Through a blend of macro-level analysis and personal narratives, listeners gain insight into life in wartime Ukraine and the resilience of its people. Tune in to uncover the untold stories of Ukraine and understand the historical moment unfolding before us.
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I had the great pleasure in this episode in speaking with a world-renowned expert on Iran and militant Shia groups in the Middle East - and also an old friend from my Washington DC days - Phillip Smyth, to discuss the War in Iran and where it is heading. We covered it all - what does Trump do next? What does Iran do next? Will the Houthis soon cause problems for global trade on the other side of the Arabian peninsula? What will Israel do if Trump backs off? And how do the Gulf states r...
What is the front like these days in this new era of drones? What is the situation around Pokrovsk? Is Ukraine's biggest issue manpower or actually weapons? And did America actually support Russia to defeat the Ukrainians in Kursk? Tune in to this episode to hear the answers to this and much more from a war correspondent who has been living and reporting from the front since the start of the full-scale invasion in early 2022. Close brushes with death, chased by Russian drones, witness to num...
Last week marked the 4-year anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. To mark this date, I had the great pleasure to speak with Gen. David Petraeus to do an overview of where the war is today and where it’s heading. Among other topics discussed, we focused on: Why Americans should consider Ukraine vital to US national securityHow the West/Ukraine can stop PutinThe current state of the battlefield and outlook this yearThe primary lessons Western milita...
Does Ukraine have a Nazi problem? How pervasive is far-right nationalism in Ukraine? What is the history of the Kremlin's propaganda campaign about Ukrainian Nazis? Why does Moscow insist on calling Ukrainians all Nazis? And what about Nazism in Russia? We touch upon all of this in this very illuminating episode with Dr. Taras Kuzio, who has researched and written extensively on the topic for years. I admit that this is not an area of specialty of mine but am of course familiar with the issue...
We delved into yet another Kremlin lie, this one a recurring theme literally for the past 60 years going back to the Soviet era - US biolabs around the word out to attack Russia. To reveal this lie, I spoke with Dr. Dmytro Stepanskyi, the head of Microbiology at the Dnipro State University. In short, this is an interesting propaganda tool by the Kremlin because they are directly accusing the US of what the Kremlin does - possesses covert biolabs which have been used to kill individuals outs...
With peace talks ongoing for the past year Trump has been in office, it's worth asking: where are we with the peace process and where will things go from here? We've hit another inflection point it seems. Trump's White House is eager to claim 90% of work is done with the peace talks. The West seems to have largely aligned around their position and the US seems to believe a deal could be coming. However, the experts I spoke with in this episode are far more skeptical. And as am I. ...
It's always nice to meet and speak with like-minded, passionate, empathetic people who dedicate their lives to something bigger than themselves. And that's what this podcast was all about. I had the great pleasure of speaking with a proud Ukraine supporter, who also comes from my hometown of Cleveland! Brandon Chrostowski has travelled multiple times to Ukraine to help, not because of his heritage (he's not Ukrainian) but just because it's the right thing to do and he has a skill that...
I admit I departed from my usual more detached analytical style, and spoke a bit more from the heart in this one. Too much has happened and for too long to not do a podcast like this. Most of my adult life I have spent in Europe and so have gained a solid perspective on how Europeans and other non-Americans view the US and how these views have developed. I'm also asked routinely by friends and family back in the US how non-Americans view the US. So in this episode, motivated by ...
With so much disinformation about the war particularly at this moment, I felt it would be good to do a show on some of these lies. Although I was hoping we could delve into the many myths of this war, we ended up speaking primarily about the central myth of this war: the Russian lie that this is a defensive war in retaliation against the last 30 years of NATO expansion. Listen in to understand the numerous reasons why this is clearly a lie. I had the great pleasure speaking with Dr. Branisl...
So what now in Venezuela? Trump has put himself in dangerous territory by removing a foreign leader and now vowing to "run" the country, precisely what he has promised his MAGA support base the US under him would no longer do. What happens next? Why did he do it? And above all, how will it impact Ukraine? If history is any indicator, I'm not optimistic for how this plays out for Trump, which ironically may work to Ukraine's favor. Tune in to find out why. To learn more, visit: h...
There's an information war going on related to the War in Ukraine, and unfortunately Russia has been very successful in spreading its propaganda into the West and influencing popular perceptions and also policy-makers themselves. I thought it would be informative to have on the show a Ukrainian who recently moved to the US and what she has seen on the ground related to Americans' perspectives on the war and what has been alarming to her. In our discussion we touched upon the war ...
Over 6 mn Ukrainians fled their homeland after the full-scale invasion and have since settled abroad, mostly in Europe. In country after country, Ukrainians economic and financial contribution far outpaces the social support provided to them by those countries. To delve into this story, specifically as it pertains to the US, I had a very informative discussion with Oleksandr Romanishyn, a former Deputy Minister of Economy and current head of the think tank ISE group. He launched an Impact S...
How do so many Russians either outright support this war or at least passively approve it? And what about Russians in Moscow and St. Petersburg? Do they have a more Western political culture? Can Russia ever drop its imperialistic mentality and make the country less violent abroad? To answer these questions and more, I spoke with Dr. Botakoz Kassymbekova, an expert on Russia imperialism, to discuss the concept of Russia's Imperial Innocence. Dr. Botakoz Kassymbekova is a professo...
What is electronic warfare (EW), and how important is it to protecting Ukraine? How does EW work to detect and jam drones? How has EW evolved during the war, and how will it develop in the future? Serhii Skoryk, Commercial Director, Kvertus, former soldier in the Ukrainian military who now leads Ukraine's top electronic warfare (EW) company. Listen in to understand the vital role EW is playing in this war, saving lives at the front and across all of Ukraine. And if you want some ...
*Note that this was recorded the evening of Tuesday November 25 (Kyiv time), for publication the evening of Thursday November 27 (Kyiv time) Will we have a ceasefire/peace deal soon? How did they create this 28 point plan, and why now all of a sudden? Is the revised 19 point plan better? What is Russia's view of things? And if we get no deal soon, then what? I did my best in an almost stream of consciousness way to answer the above questions. Alot of unknowables, and alot to be frustrated a...
*Apologies for the minor disruptions in the podcast as we were cut off by power outages in Kyiv. In light of the annual commemoration of the Holodomor on November 22, 2025 (always the 4th Saturday of November), I spoke with Dr. Iryna Skubii, the Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Her work focuses on the social history of the 1932–1933 famine, the Holodomor. Listen in to hear: Why should we consider the Holodomor a genocide?What was it like to live through the Holodomor?...
Is Pokrovsk going to fall, and if so what does it mean for Ukraine? There have been lots of doomsday scenarios arising about the loss of Pokrovsk and how it could lead to a collapse of the front for Ukraine. But is that true? Pavlo Narozhnyi, Founder of Reactive Post, an NGO that provides lethal and humanitarian support to the front since the war began in 2014, with a focus on long-range artillery brigades. Pavlo also provides timely insights and advice to political and military leaders in K...
In this episode, my business partner Andrew Pryma and I felt like we had to break alot of the misconceptions of the economy and business environment in Ukraine and delve into what's really happening on the ground. We speak everyday with the top Western investors in the country so have strong insight into what is actually happening, what they're seeing, how they're feeling, and how they view the future. Please have a listen to understand better what's happening on the ground in Ukraine ...
Yes its extremely annoying, but we'll be ok. Trump was supposed to give the Tomahawks, but then Putin calls, and Trump again believes his friend in the Kremlin is interested in peace. And then he pushes harshly on Zelenskyi, again... And now we're waiting another few weeks, again... Yes we should be concerned, but don't worry too much. Listen in to my quick thoughts on what happened and where things are going. To learn more, visit: https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes ...
How do we help those suffering near the frontlines in Ukraine? People need to be fed, windows need to be repaired, pets need to be saved, environments have to be protected - how to go about doing all this? Listen in to hear the stories of Greater Good Charities and their critical work in helping the most vulnerable people and animals at the front. This podcast is particularly timely considering the expected brutal winter ahead of us - Greater Good Charities has their work cut out for...
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