Explaining Ukraine

Could a new alliance be taking shape in Europe? In 2022, just before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK, Poland, and Ukraine forged a partnership. Yet its path forward remains unclear. Does this format have a future? And what motivates each country? This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s Global Partnerships” produced by UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”. In this episode, Deputy editor-in-chief at UkraineWorld Anastasiia Herasymchuk spoke with James Rogers, Co-founder and Director of Research at the Council on Geostrategy, Przemysław Biskup, a Senior Analyst in the European Union Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, and Dr. Hanna Shelest, Director of Security Programmes at Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s global partnerships” made as a partnership between UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. SUPPORT us at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This podcast series was created with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Are Russians still using their troll armies to influence public opinion in Europe? Is their effect substantial? How does this work in different countries? How can we identify coordinated non-authentic behavior on social networks? The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Robert van der Noordaa, a Dutch journalist and analyst, and the founder of the Trollrensics initiative to uncover disinformation campaigns on social media. We discuss a recent study published by Robert and his team. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine’s largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Germany has shown its support for Ukraine’s resistance against the Russian invasion. Yet questions arise whether this support is as substantial as it could be and needs to be. What are the deeper reasons for Germany’s cautious position on the Russian war against Ukraine? Guests: renowned German politicians and civil society figures Marieluise Beck and Ralf Fücks, co-founders of the Center for Liberal Modernity (https://libmod.de/en/) in Berlin. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine’s largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

What Ukrainian non-fiction books are available in English? Why is Ukrainian non-fiction important to read for those who want to understand Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Russia’s war against Ukraine? Why has documenting wartime reality become so important for today’s Ukrainian literature? The Explaining Ukraine podcast speaks to Iryna Baturevych, co-founder and development director of Chytomo.com, a Ukrainian media about books and literature. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine’s largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode is produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Book Institute. Some books mentioned in this episode: Illia Ponomarenko, I Will Show You How It Was. The Story of Wartime Kyiv https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/i-will-show-you-how-it-was-9781639733880/ Oleksandr Mykhed, The Language of War https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/461801/the-language-of-war-by-mykhed-oleksandr/9780241690840 Kateryna Zarembo, The Rise of the Ukrainian Sun: History of Donetsk and Luhansk at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Academic Studies Press (USA) - to be published Victoria Amelina, Looking at Women Looking at War. A War and Justice Diary https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250367686/lookingatwomenlookingatwar Pavlo Kazarin. Wild West of Eastern Europe. Ibidem Verlag, Germany - to be published

Ukraine has succeeded in restoring its food exports to pre-2022 levels. It has achieved this tremendous victory despite the loss of large swaths of its agricultural lands to occupation, combat, and mines. Ukraine also had to overcome the loss of several key ports, Russia’s attempts to blockade Odesa and its surrounding ports, and the threat of ongoing Russian strikes. Despite all this, Ukraine has again shown a miraculous capacity to produce and export food globally. The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of the Economy and the country’s trade representative to discuss how the war influences Ukraine’s economy and trade. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Ukraine and Qatar - two nations with seemingly little overlap. But what brought these countries closer? How did Qatar become involved in Ukraine's most sensitive humanitarian issues? How does Qatar navigate its stance on the Russian invasion, and why does it matter? And what cooperation opportunities between Ukraine and Qatar should we look out for? In this episode, Deputy editor-in-chief at UkraineWorld Anastasiia Hersymchuk spoke with Prof. Dr. Omar Ashour, Professor of Security and Military Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (Qatar) and the University of Exeter, Director of the Strategic Studies Unit at the Centre for Research and Policy Studies, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, and Dr. Hanna Shelest, Director of Security Programmes at Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism", Editor-in-chief at UA: Ukraine Analytica This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s global partnerships” made as a partnership between UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. SUPPORT us at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This podcast series was created with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.

On July 8th “The Guardian” featured an open letter titled, “The Nato Alliance should not invite Ukraine to become a member”. It claimed that, by admitting Ukraine into the Alliance it would reduce the security of other Nato allies, at a considerable risk to all. In this episode, we argue the opposite: that Ukraine’s NATO membership will be an asset for global security and can put an end to Russia’s aggressive wars. The guest of the Explaining Ukraine podcast is Andreas Umland, Senior Expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future in Kyiv, and a research fellow at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs in Stockholm. Host: Daria Synhaievska, an analyst and journalist at UkraineWorld. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Ukraine and Canada share a strategic relationship. It is bolstered by a large Ukrainian diaspora in Canada and an extensive legal framework, that allows for easy cooperation. Yet, we must ask: Does the label "strategic" reflect the real nature of their bilateral ties? And, in light of Russia’s aggression, is Canada responding adequately to the Russian threat on a global scale? In this episode, Deputy editor-in-chief at UkraineWorld Anastasiia Hersymchuk spoke with Dr. Balkan Devlen, Director of the Transatlantic Program at the Macdonald Laurier Institute, Canada - and Yevhen Hlibovytsky, Director of the Frontier Institute, Ukraine. This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s global partnerships” made as a partnership between UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. SUPPORT us at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This podcast series was created with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.

What is the current situation on the frontlines of the Russo-Ukrainian war? What is the theory of victory for Ukraine and its partners? How can Ukraine use asymmetric approaches against Russia? What mistakes have Ukraine’s partners made, and what can they do now to help Ukraine win? The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a Ukrainian defense expert and the country’s former Minister of Defense (2019-2020). Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Why should Putinism be considered as absolute evil? Why should we treat it in the same way as fascism or Nazism? Why does Europe need to view the task of defending Ukraine as its own war? UkraineWorld invites Nicolas Tenzer, the French philosopher and strategist. Mr. Tenzer’s latest book is "Notre guerre, le crime et l’oubli" (Our War: Crime and Oblivion). This episode is a recording of a meeting between Mr. Tenzer and the Ukrainian and international public in Kyiv, at the UkraineWorld Club and PEN Ukraine, held on June 3rd, 2024. It is part of UkraineWorld’s series Thinking in Dark Times. The FULL episode is available for UkraineWorld's patrons: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108299782 Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine’s largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. Check out another conversation with Mr. Tenzer: Nicolas Tenzer - On Morality in Geopolitics https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-221

Is this war somehow fundamentally new in character? What is the role of technology in this war? How can Ukraine protect its cities from Russian missiles and bombs, and why does the West need to do things much faster than it is now? The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of the United States Army Europe. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

This war also concerns the politics of knowledge production. Today we will talk about the epistemically unjust myth of Russian imperial innocence and why the episteme of pacifism is deadly dangerous. In this episode, Daria Synhaievska, analyst and journalist at UkraineWorld is joined by Olga Burlyuk, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam and the co-author of the article that achieved the prestigious award Best Article Prize of the American Association for Ukrainian studies. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multi-lingual website about Ukraine. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. You can support our work at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Ukraine and Australia - two geographically distant nations with shared values. But what was the tragedy that initiated real cooperation between these states? Why is supporting Ukraine important not just for Kyiv but for Canberra as well? And what prospects lie ahead for this partnership? In this episode, Deputy editor-in-chief Anastasiia Hersymchuk spoke with: - Mick Ryan, top-resident Fellow at Lowy Institute (Sydney) and Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington DC), and - Yuliia Shaipova, Affiliated Expert at the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s global partnerships” made as a partnership between UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. SUPPORT us at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This podcast series was created with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.

What challenges does democracy face in light of the Russian war on Ukraine? How can Ukraine defeat Russia while remaining a democracy? The guest of the Explaining Ukraine podcast is Lucan Way, Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, Co-Director of the Petro Yatsyk Ukrainian Studies Programme at the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CERES), researcher of the evolution of political regimes in post-Soviet countries. Host: Daria Synhaievska, an analyst and journalist at UkraineWorld UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Is democracy in decline today? What is “Post-Wall” Europe, born after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and why is it now gone? How is Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion changing Europe? UkraineWorld invites Timothy Garton Ash, a British historian, Professor of European Studies at the University of Oxford, Isaiah Berlin Professorial Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford, and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His latest book is "Homelands: A Personal History of Europe". This episode is a recording of Professor Garton Ash’s meeting with the Ukrainian public in Kyiv, at the UkraineWorld Club and PEN Ukraine, on May 15th, 2024. It is part of UkraineWorld’s series Thinking in Dark Times. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. The FULL conversation (with questions from the audience and replies by Timothy Garton Ash) is available for UkraineWorld's patrons at https://www.patreon.com/posts/timothy-garton-106112059 You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. Check two other conversations with Professor Garton Ash: Timothy Garton Ash on Ukraine’s role in Europe https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-225 Timothy Garton Ash on Europe, Lviv and Wounded Soldiers https://ukraineworld.org/en/videos/garton

How can history help us understand the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Why can Moscow not even imagine itself without Kyiv? Is Russia an empire in decline? The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Professor Serhii Plokhii, a prominent Ukrainian historian, director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI), and author of numerous books about Ukraine, Russia, and Eastern Europe. His latest book is The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History. This conversation was held in Kyiv on May 24th, 2024, before Plokhii met with the Ukrainian public at the UkraineWorld Club and PEN Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. Check two other podcasts with Plokhii: What Makes Ukrainian History Interesting to the World https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-46-ukrainian-history World War II and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-223

Almost 20,000 Ukrainian children have been kidnapped by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Kyiv’s official data. Russia’s figures are much bigger: it says it has relocated more than half a million of Ukrainian children - and is not going to give them back. This is a horrible, systematic policy of depriving the Ukrainian nation of its future. The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Khrystyna Shkudor, advocacy manager of the campaign “Where Are Our People?” (https://deportation.org.ua/). The campaign is aimed at uncovering Russia's policy of forcible deportations of Ukrainians. It is run by PR Army, a Ukrainian non-profit communication initiative. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Do India and Ukraine share common ground for cooperation? What shared interests might emerge from their unique contexts? And in the face of Russian aggression, how can these nations forge relations that benefit both sides? In this episode, UkraineWorld's Deputy editor-in-chief Anastasiia Hersymchuk spoke withSwasti Rao, Associate Fellow at the Europe and Eurasia Center, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and Olha Vorozhbyt, an affiliated expert with the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”, deputy editor-in-chief of the “Ukrayinskyi Tyzhden” news website. This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s global partnerships” made as a partnership between UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. SUPPORT us at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This podcast series was created with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.

What do citizens of the EU and the United Kingdom think about Ukraine? How substantial is their support? How high the Ukrainian topic is on their agenda? The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites experts from “More in Common” - an international initiative aiming to understand the forces driving people apart, find common ground, and bring people together to tackle shared challenges. Guests: Mathieu Lefèvre, CEO and Co-founder of “More in Common”; Luke Tryl, Director of “More in Common” UK. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

A conversation about Ukraine, the Russian invasion, resistance, ideas, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things, - held during Volodymyr Yermolenko’s visit to Yale University in February 2024. Timothy Snyder is an American historian and Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University. Marci Shore is an American historian and associate professor at Yale University. Volodymyr Yermolenko is a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine. Let us thank Yale University and Ukraine House at Yale for organizing this discussion and helping us to publish its recording. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.