Andrii Portnov is a Ukrainian historian and essayist, the Chair Professor of Entangled History of Ukraine at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) in Germany, and one of the EU's rare professors of Ukrainian history. Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld, speaks to Andrii Portnov about stereotypes we need to overcome when looking at Ukrainian history, about the blind spots of the Ukrainian past, and the ideological diversity of Ukrainian inte...
Apr 21, 2023•58 min
What is happening on the frontline? Are Russian claims of taking over Bakhmut true? What does the situation on the Eastern front look like? Are there still people living in destroyed frontline villages? Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. Support our humanitarian tri...
Apr 06, 2023•39 min
Finland has officially joined NATO, which is further proof that the results of Russia’s foreign policy are contrary to its strategic goals. Russia has drafted a new “foreign policy doctrine” in which it claims to be a “state-civilization,” in line with the worst far-right Eurasianist ideas. - In a new episode of the series Around Ukraine, Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analyst Maksym Panchenko. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a webs...
Apr 05, 2023•35 min
PEN International, a worldwide association of writers, presented its 2022 CASE LIST, which documents 115 cases of writers facing harassment, arrest, violence and even death. This episode is a recording of an online panel of writers and activists discussing the situation surrounding freedom of expression globally, on the occasion of the publication of the 2022 Case list. The discussion focuses on cases in Ukraine under Russian attack, Egypt, Myanmar, and Nicaragua. Participants include Ma Thida (...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Putin is threatening to deploy Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. This could amount to a violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. China and Japan have opposing attitudes to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which shows a clear divide between the two major Asian powers. In a new episode of the series Around Ukraine, Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analyst Maksym Panchenko. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a website in English...
Mar 28, 2023•33 min
Fighting corruption is an essential element of Ukraine’s EU integration. To understand the EU perspective on this process, we spoke to Allan Pagh Kristensen, a Danish diplomat who heads the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the oldest Ukrainian media NGOs. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. Support our humanitarian trips to the frontline are...
Mar 27, 2023•42 min
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its occupation of large parts of Ukraine’s Black Sea littoral zone caused serious problems for the exports of Ukrainian food worldwide. Although a “grain deal” was signed, it remains fragile, with Russia threatening to end it and blaming Ukraine for causing a food security crisis. In this episode of our “Propaganda Diary,” we analyze how Russia talks about the grain deal in its discourse to manipulate the global public and blame the victim. Volodymyr Yermolenko, ...
Mar 24, 2023•23 min
China’s leader Xi Jinping paid a visit to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin and stress the strength of the China-Russia axis. The visit took place days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin and Russia’s children rights ombudswoman Mariya Lvova-Belova for ordering and overseeing the kidnapping of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. Russia downed an American drone over the Black Sea, well beyond Russian territorial waters. In a ...
Mar 22, 2023•30 min
Askold Melnyczuk is a prominent American writer of Ukrainian descent, and author of books What Is Told; Ambassador of the Dead; House of Widows; The Man Who Would Not Bow, and others. His novels have earned honors as a New York Times Notable, an LA Times Best Books of the Year, and an Editor’s Choice by the American Library Association’s Booklist. Melnyczuk has also translated numerous Ukrainian authors into English. Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld, s...
Mar 21, 2023•57 min
Gillian Tett is a British journalist and author. She is chair of the editorial board and US editor-at-large of the Financial Times. She is the author of "Fool's Gold"; "The Silo Effect" and "Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life". Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld, speaks to Gillian Tett about how anthropology can help us understand the world, what the West has gotten wrong about Ukraine in the past, and how Russian imperialism is differe...
Mar 19, 2023•48 min
In this episode of our "Propaganda Diary", we discuss joint Ukrainian-Slovak research studying the key narratives of Russian propaganda in both countries. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld. Guests: Peter Dubóczi, Research fellow of Adapt Institute and Director of Infosecurity.sk, and Alona Hryshko, journalist and analyst at UkraineWorld. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the oldest Ukrainian media NGOs. Support us at patr...
Mar 17, 2023•48 min
Is there a risk of the West changing course with its Ukraine policy? Are democratic values moving eastwards with the protests in Georgia? Why should we be worried about Russian-Iranian military trade? In a new episode of our Around Ukraine series, Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analyst Maksym Panchenko. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a website in English about Ukraine, brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us at patreon.com/...
Mar 15, 2023•32 min
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a Ukrainian rock star, the leader of the rock band Okean Elzy, and one of Ukraine’s most popular modern musicians. He is also a civic activist, and formerly a politician, who founded the political party Holos (“Voice”). Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to Vakarchuk about Ukrainian culture, the country’s fight for freedom, music on the frontline, Ukraine’s difference from Russia, and the deep roots of the Ukrainian resis...
Mar 14, 2023•45 min
Despite the war, many Ukrainian academics and students remain in the country and continue doing academic and research work. In this episode, we explain why Ukrainian universities and academics need support, and why the war is a time for thinking, but also for action. Volodymyr Yermolenko, the chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, speaks to Aaron James Wendland, Vision Fellow in Public Philosophy at King’s College, London, and a Senior Research Fellow at Massey College, Toronto. We also talk about th...
Mar 13, 2023•37 min
A few days ago we made a trip to Nikopol, an industrial town in southern Ukraine located 6 kilometers from the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, now occupied by Russian troops. Russians shell the town every day with artillery, but despite this regular bombardment and the risk of a major nuclear disaster, we met active and optimistic people. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist i...
Mar 09, 2023•35 min
Kryvyi Rih is a big industrial Ukrainian city, and the hometown of president Zelenskyy. We went there to see what the city looks like during the war, and how (and if) it is changing. In this episode, we try to describe both the civic and political life of the city. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Suppor...
Mar 09, 2023•38 min
In this episode of our Propaganda Diary, we analyze the vocabulary of Russian propaganda about Ukraine. An “anti-Russia,” “puppet of the West,” “former country”, “nezalezhnaya,” and “terrorist state” - why and how do Russian propagandists use these words, and what purpose do they serve? Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analysts Alona Hryshko and Anastasia Herasymchuk. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a website in English about Ukraine,...
Mar 08, 2023•31 min
Ukraine may be preparing a counter-offensive in the spring, and therefore needs military support, both in equipment and ammunition. Ukrainian pilots are in the US, which might mean that fighter jets may be on the way in the future. The G20 summit in New Delhi features Russia, but not Ukraine. In a new episode of the series Around Ukraine, Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analyst Maksym Panchenko. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a webs...
Mar 08, 2023•24 min
Marci Shore is an American historian and associate professor at Yale University, where she teaches modern European intellectual history. She is the author of Caviar and Ashes: A Warsaw Generation’s Life and Death in Marxism, 1918-1968; The Taste of Ashes: The Afterlife of Totalitarianism in Eastern Europe, and The Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution. Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld, speaks to Marci Shore about the importance of Central ...
Mar 04, 2023•56 min
How is Russian imperialism similar to, and different from, other imperialisms that we know? What are its key traits with regard to the questions of difference and sameness, domination, nation-states, and mythology of the past? Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. Suppo...
Mar 03, 2023•49 min
In this episode of our Propaganda Diary, we continue looking at the genocidal rhetoric of Russian propaganda. We analyze the most common messages of the Russian “media” and “experts” that Ukraine should not exist, that Russia should “de-Ukrainianize” Ukraine, and that its strikes against civilians are “justified.” Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analyst Anastasia Herasymchuk. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a website in English about...
Mar 02, 2023•35 min
China has released a peace plan with the aim of putting forward ideas that could stop Russia’s war against Ukraine - but are they realistic? The UN General Assembly’s recent resolution demanding a Russian withdrawal shows overwhelming support for Ukraine, but the “abstaining” countries form a stable block. Belarusian partisans reportedly blew up a military plane in Belarus, which is a sign to Lukashenka that internal resistance to his dictatorship is increasing. There are warnings that Ukraine h...
Feb 28, 2023•41 min
What are the parallels between Putinist Russia and Syria of Bashar al-Assad? Why is the cult of violence widespread in both countries? Targeting hospitals, humanitarian corridors, and civilian infrastructure - how have Russian tactics in Syria and Ukraine been similar? What are the parallels between the Arab Spring and Ukrainian Maidans? Why is Ukraine important for the Middle East today? UkraineWorld’s chief editor Volodymyr Yermolenko invites Jean-Pierre Filiu, a professor at Sciences Po (Pari...
Feb 27, 2023•49 min
In this episode of our Propaganda Diary, we look at the genocidal rhetoric of Russian propaganda. Before starting the full-scale war, Russian politicians and media figures systematically spread the message that Ukraine does not exist and is an artificial state which should be eliminated. During the war, this propaganda turned into genuine genocidal rhetoric with calls to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine and to kill two million Ukrainians. Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, spe...
Feb 26, 2023•33 min
One year has passed since Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine. In this episode, we draw lessons from this past year: the strength of Ukrainian society, its transformative power, its grassroots nature, as well as the weakness of Russian authoritarianism and its imprisonment in the past. We also analyze the global dimension of this war, discuss the stages of this full-scale invasion, and try to reflect on what we can expect in the near future. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian ...
Feb 23, 2023•53 min
This episode is an interview given by UkraineWorld’s chief editor and host of the Explaining Ukraine podcast Volodymyr Yermolenko to "Die Kulturmittler", a podcast by ifa, Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, a German organisation for international cultural relations. Together, we look at the past year and how Ukrainian civil society and the cultural scene have developed during the war in Ukraine. Original publication: https://www.ifa.de/podcast-ukraines-cultural-scene-after-a-year-of-war-with-volo...
Feb 23, 2023•47 min
US president Joe Biden paid an unexpected visit to Kyiv, showing support for Ukraine and sending a strong signal to Russia. The Munich Security Conference showed a solidified consensus among Western leaders that Russia must be militarily defeated. A Russian-planned coup-d’etat was foiled in Moldova. China announced that it would put forward peace proposals to end the Russian war in Ukraine, but there are doubts about how realistic they are. In a new episode of the series Around Ukraine, Volodymy...
Feb 22, 2023•38 min
What is it like to live inside history? Why was Fukuyama’s idea of “the end of history” wrong? What does history mean, and why is Ukraine important for the world’s future? Why is Russia a captive of the past, while Europe is a captive of the present - and why is this dangerous? Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media ...
Feb 20, 2023•42 min
In this episode of our Propaganda Diary, we look at the top methods Russian propaganda has used during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We analyze how Kremlin propagandists mirror their opponents’ arguments; deny Ukraine’s existence, dehumanize Ukrainians and other nations, sanctify their aggression, use conspiracy theories, bring out pseudo-experts, and use other methods of manipulation, distortion, and disinformation. Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld...
Feb 17, 2023•37 min
What would Ukrainian victory in this war look like? Why is Ukraine’s accession to NATO essential? Is the West’s support of Ukraine sufficient? Could Russia become a new Latin America? UkraineWorld’s chief editor Volodymyr Yermolenko speaks to Ostap Kryvdyk, a Ukrainian security and defense expert, active-duty Ukrainian soldier, and chair of the Ukrainian Strategic Initiative, a Kyiv Mohyla Academy think tank. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a website in English about Ukraine...
Feb 16, 2023•45 min
