History in the Making: The War in Ukraine

We recorded this episode on April 4th, the International Mine Awareness Day, to highlight the situation Ukraine is in as the most heavily mined country in the world.I had the pleasure of speaking with the head of the UN's Mine Action program here in Ukraine, Paul Heslop, on this important day. We discussed the scale of the mine problem in Ukraine, how de-mining is done, innovations in de-mining developed in Ukraine, and the outlook ahead. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

The US has an outsized influence on world events. So much here in Ukraine and elsewhere hinges on the policies of Trump.For that reason, I did this episode to help non-Americans (but I think will be informative for Americans as well) understand the mindset of the Trump voter.In Part 1, we explored domestic issues and general perceptions. In this second part, we shift to foreign policy and global conflicts.In short, I have been asked the last decade living in Europe by European friends and colleagues: Who votes for Trump and what are they thinking? Instead of again trying to answer this on my own, I got questions from several of my European friends and posed them to a Trump supporter – and my oldest brother, Dave McNamee. He in turn sent the questions to 6 of his friends, likewise all Trump voters the past ten years, to get a more comprehensive view of the motivations and mindset of the Trump voter.US involvement in foreign wars, relations with Russia and China, war in Ukraine, Iran…How does the Trump voter view all these things?And above all, the ultimate question in my opinion: “Is there a red line? What would Trump have to do to lose your support?”—this time in the context of foreign policy and potential military involvement.Please note that this episode has nothing to do with my views, as that’s not the point of this episode. Some of what Dave says I agree with, other points I completely disagree with, but that’s irrelevant. I’m trying to communicate the view of tens of millions of voters to people outside the US who are truly bewildered.And lastly, while anecdotal and just the thoughts of a few citizens in a nation of 335 mn people, I do think the views shared here are highly representative of tens of millions of Trump voters: these are all middle-aged, white, Christian, males, college educated, and professionally successful (in the top 10% of income earners), residing in suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, a mid-sized Midwestern city.About the GuestDave McNamee, President at DMC Benefits General Agency, Resident of Cleveland, Ohio and oldest brother of the podcast host Mark. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

The US has an outsized influence on world events. So much here in Ukraine and elsewhere hinges on the policies of Trump.For that reason, I did this episode to help non-Americans (but I think will be informative for Americans as well) understand the mindset of the Trump voter.In short, I have been asked the last decade living in Europe by European friends and colleagues: Who votes for Trump and what are they thinking? Instead of again trying to answer this on my own, I got questions from several of my European friends and posed them to a Trump supporter - and my oldest brother, Dave McNamee. He in turn sent the questions to 6 of his friends, likewise all Trump voters the past ten years, to get a more comprehensive view of the motivations and mindset of the Trump voter.January 6th, erosion of rule of law, ICE, Epstein files, war in Ukraine, war in Iran….How does the Trump voter view all these things?And above all, the ultimate question in my opinion: “Is there a red line? What would Trump have to do to lose your support?”Please note that this episode has nothing to do with my views, as that’s not the point of this episode. Some of what Dave says I agree with, other points I completely disagree with, but that’s irrelevant. I’m trying to communicate the view of tens of millions of voters to people outside the US who are truly bewildered.And lastly, while anecdotal and just the thoughts of a few citizens in a nation of 335 mn people, I do think the views shared here are highly representative of tens of millions of Trump voters: these are all middle-aged, white, Christian, males, college educated, and professionally successful (in the top 10% of incomes earners), residing in suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio a mid-sized Midwestern city.Enjoy the show!About the GuestDave McNamee, President at DMC Benefits General Agency, Resident of Cleveland, Ohio and oldest brother of the podcast host Mark. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 respond? etc. etc.We also touched upon the impact on the global economy, the impact on Ukraine from this war, and the Iranian-Russian partnership. Tune in for truly a fascinating episode.About the GuestPhillip Smyth, world-renowned expert on Shia militant groups in the Middle East, former fellow at the Washington Institute of the Near East as well as at the Atlantic Council, and currently serves on the Counterterrorism Advisory Board of Homeland Security Today. Phillip has testified at numerous Congressional Hearings related to the Middle East. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 numerous Russian war crimes, years spent with Ukrainian soldiers - this episode has it all for those interested in understanding what's really going on at the front. About the GuestGiorgio Provinciali, War Correspondent, Writes from the trenches of democracy in Ukraine. Engineer, journalist, war reporter. Medium writer since November 2023.Read more from Giorgio:https://medium.com/@giorgioprovinciali To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 militaries can learn from UkraineAnd lastly, are Ukrainians currently "The Greatest Generation" of America's past?About the GuestGeneral David Petraeus, served over 37 years in the U.S. military, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of coalition forces in Afghanistan. Following retirement from the military, Gen. Petraeus served as Director of the CIA under President Obama. He is currently a Partner at KKR.Articles by Gen. PetraeusForeign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/autonomous-battlefieldNational Interest: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/for-china-the-ukraine-war-is-a-laboratory  To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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. As usual with Kremlin propaganda, there is a kernel of truth to all of this as there exists of course far-right nationalist groups in Ukraine. The question is how pervasive and influential are they, and where this Kremlin propaganda comes from. Dr. Kuzio helped me better understand this and will be highly informative to listeners. And enjoy the voice of Start Wars' Mark Hamill announcing the end of an air raid alert in the middle of the podcast:)About the GuestTaras Kuzio, British Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. His area of study is Russian and Ukrainian political, economic and security affairs, and he has contributed pieces to the Atlantic Council and Foreign Affairs. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 outside of Russia. Some important links regarding to the topic:https://thebulletin.org/2025/12/a-decade-of-chemical-and-biological-disinformation-mapped/https://thebulletin.org/2022/10/the-russian-biological-weapons-program-in-2022/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPjB29leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZVTRPcGxweXM5Vk1xQnpxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHokiKQtnstu7X9ZIH-8WzwdAP96ak5bF6Hw1-0IenpQVbY756nPYq6H_5oPF_aem_MzAbLH28nKKxOoOtS5rCkQhttps://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/dreganhttps://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/04/04/biological-threats-in-the-us-annual-threat-assessment-a-consistent-view-reinforces-the-need-for-continued-action/About the GuestDr. Dmytro Stepanskyi, MD, PhD, Professor, Head of department of Microbiology, Virology, Immunology and Epidemiology – Dnipro State Medical  University, American Society for Microbiology Ambassador to Ukraine To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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. Are these talks credible and leading somewhere?Is Putin interested in reaching a deal?Could Zelenskyi agree to what's on the table?Is Europe's Coalition of the Willing a serious proposal?Where do we go from here?Listen in to get the answers to this and many other questions from two of the leading political scientists focused on Ukraine: Taras Kuzio and Paul D'Anieri. About the GuestsTaras Kuzio, British Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. His area of study is Russian and Ukrainian political, economic and security affairs, and he has contributed pieces to the Atlantic Council and Foreign Affairs.Paul D'Anieri, Professor of Political Science and former Provost of University of California, Riverside, specializing politics and international relations in the former Soviet Union, focusing on Ukraine and Russia. He has been called “one of the leading scholars of the study of contemporary Ukraine” To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 can contribute to some good. Listen in for some inspiration from a guy who is doing great stuff for the people of Ukraine, those in other conflict zones, as well as those in Cleveland. About the GuestBrandon Chrostowski, Chef, Restaurateur, and Politician residing in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the founder, president, and CEO of EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute, an NGO that acts as both a French restaurant and culinary institute training former prison inmates. Chrostowski is also a certified sommelier and a fromager, and ran for mayor of Cleveland in 2017. He has visited Ukraine (and other conflict zones) multiple times, bringing food, conducting cooking classes,  and rebuilding a children's hospital, while also providing financial support to those suffering from the war. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 Trump's threats to European and NATO democratic allies, I felt compelled to dive into these perceptions and touched upon what it means to be American. Who are we as Americans if we don't have principles and beliefs that we ascribe to? To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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. Branislav Slantchev, a professor of Political Science at UC San Diego, who helped provide extensive evidence and quotes by Russian leaders themselves clearly setting the record straight and proving this is a war of Russian imperial aggression, not a defensive war against NATO. His Foreign Affairs article  - https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/obstacles-diplomacy-ukraineAnd I highly recommend you follow him on X at https://x.com/slantchevAbout the GuestDr. Branislav Slantchev is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California San Diego. Slantchev teaches courses in international relations, national security, and game theory. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 itself, what Americans believe and understand, views on the Russian opposition and Navalny himself, as well as issues like language and religion in Ukraine. Please listen in to better understand and expose this information war. About the GuestOlga Usenko, Strategic Communications and Legal Market Analyst with nearly 20 years of experience leading high-impact research and media projects in Ukraine’s legal sector. Olga holda a PhD in International Economics and is currently a Fellow at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, focusing on strategic communications and global partnerships for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and investment growth. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 Study into Ukrainians' contribution to the US economy, which is far more substantial than I possibly could have imagined. Oleksandr Romanyshin is a policymaker and economist, having served as Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine (2020-2021). He is currently a Board Member of ISE Group and an Advisor to the Ukrainian American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UACCI). With over 15 years of experience spanning government, IFIs, and corporate finance, he has contributed to Ukraine’s post-war recovery strategy, including inputs to the European Commission’s €50 billion Ukraine Facility. He was engaged in M&A and corporate finance in such companies as EY, Volwest Group, and Midland Group. He was the head of the World Bank's private sector development project in Ukraine. Beyond that, Oleksandr has published critical work on disinformation, the state of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and local governance - all of which we discussed in the podcast. Links as noted in the podcast:Impact Study: https://ise-group.org/impact-studyPlatform UA2USA: https://ua2usa.org/ ISE's work on disinformation: https://ise-group.org/disinformationAI and disinformation policy paper: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1569115 To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 professor of Eastern European History at the University of Zurich. Earlier, she received her BA and MA in Bishkek and Essex, respectively. Dr. Kassymbekova completed her doctorate at Humboldt University Berlin and worked as a postdoc in Berlin, Liverpool and Basel, as well as a guest scholar at Columbia University, New York. Her research focuses are Soviet history, Stalinism/post-Stalinism, and Russian imperial history.Listen in to understand the drivers behind Russian political culture and how Putin can sustain popular support for this war despite the extreme casualties and destruction of Russia's economy and demographics for the next generation.Her article noted in the podcast can be found here: https://www.ponarseurasia.org/time-to-question-russias-imperial-innocence/ To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 much-needed positivity about Ukraine in this war at this difficult time, definitely listen in and hear Serhii's optimistic expectations for the war. And he knows - he's at the front all the time and has extensive military experience. About the GuestSerhii Skoryk, Commercial Director, Kvertus, former soldier in the Ukrainian military who now leads Ukraine's top electronic warfare (EW) company.  To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

*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 about but also alot to be encouraged about.  To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

*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? How did people survive?How did the world find out about the Holodomor from inside Stalin's oppressive Soviet Union?Dr. Iryna Skubii, is the inaugural Mykola Zerov Fellow in Ukrainian Studies and the Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She is also a researcher with the Ukrainian Global History Initiative, where her work focuses on the social history of the 1932–1933 famine, the Holodomor. She is a historian of Ukraine and the Soviet Union, specialiazing in environmental history, material culture, and history of famine.She obtained her PhD in History from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada) and a Candidate of Science Degree in History from V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine). She has taught and held research positions in Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Austria, and Canada. Recognized by the American Association for Ukrainian Studies for the best article in Ukrainian studies, she is working on two books on the famines in the Soviet Union.You can find her website here: https://irynaskubii.com/Dr. Skubii's Publications:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00220094231186089https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003205364-13/shrink-eating-carrion-rebecca-manley-iryna-skubiiAnd useful and scholarly-verified online resources on the history of the Holodomor: https://holodomor.ca/I find it ironic in the US we have Thanksgiving in the same week, on the 4th Thursday of November, though in the US case marking a holiday of abundance and freedom. In Ukraine’s case, they commemorate the millions of victims of starvation and repression at the hands of Russia, in hopes of finally gaining their freedom.Please listen to this podcast to remember that this current genocidal war is not the first time Russia has conducted a genocidal campaign against Ukraine. And Ukrainians know it won’t be the last unless the West wakes up and stops Moscow.It’s a tragedy itself that this tragedy is not well-known in the Western world.Please reshare to keep up awareness of this tragedy and the suffering and strength of the Ukrainian people amid this ongoing war. To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

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 Kyiv based on his understanding of dynamics at the front. He is often interviewed in Western media, including by the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, as well as by Ukrainian media on a nearly daily basis.To discuss this - and help dispel some myths - we had back on the show my friend and renowned military analyst Pavlo Narozhnyi, who can provide the latest from the front and offer his prediction about what the pending loss of Pokrovsk means in the months ahead.  To learn more, visit:https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/