Timothy Snyder came to Kharkiv on September 8th, 2024, despite regular strikes on the city by Russian bombs, missiles, and drones. Our conversation was focused on freedom and values, which are the key topics of his latest book, "On Freedom", published on September 17th. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460254/on-freedom-by-snyder-timothy/9781847928054 Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second-largest city, located some 40 kilometers from the Russian border. The city is hit almost daily by Russian glide bombs, ...
Dec 04, 2024•54 min
Are Ukraine and Brazil truly worlds apart, or can a common ground be found? Do they actually see peace differently? The reality is far more complex than just the statements issued by politicians in both countries. In this episode, we look at the heart of Ukraine-Brazil relations—their history, mutual willingness to learn more about one another, and what the future may hold. This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s Global Partnerships” produced by UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Coun...
Nov 25, 2024•48 min
Japan stands among the top supporters of Ukraine today. It provides major financial and humanitarian aid, and backs Ukraine at the political level globally. These countries lie thousands of miles apart - so what brings them together? Has this difficult time of war brought the Japanese and Ukrainian people closer, helping them discover more about each other? This episode is part of a joint series “Ukraine’s Global Partnerships” produced by UkraineWorld and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Pr...
Nov 22, 2024•32 min
There is a big debate about whether sanctions against Russia are working. Some argue that they are failing to stop the Russian war machine, and that Ukraine’s allies need to find something else. Others say that real sanctions are yet to be applied or truly implemented. What is certain is that without the sanctions in place against Russia, Moscow would likely be occupying much more Ukrainian territory than it is. In this episode, the Explaining Ukraine podcast invited Stephanie Baker, senior writ...
Nov 18, 2024•42 min
Trump’s election has brought the topic of negotiations with Russia back into focus. In this episode, we will analyze the obstacles that any talks with Russia are likely to entail. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media about Ukraine. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine’s largest media NGOs. You can support us at patreon.com/...
Nov 15, 2024•26 min
There is a long intellectual tradition of studying the moral character of war. One of the key questions of this tradition is whether a war is just or unjust. What elements of this philosophical tradition can we apply to Russia’s war against Ukraine, and to Ukraine’s resistance? Our guest today is Jeff McMahan, an American moral philosopher, and author of books such as "Killing in War" and "The Ethics of Killing". Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and...
Nov 13, 2024•56 min
What does Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president mean for Ukraine? What are the potential threats—and perhaps hidden opportunities? Trump has claimed he can end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours, but what challenges would he face? Our guest is Natalya Gumenyuk, a well-known Ukrainian journalist. She traveled to the U.S. to report on the election campaign and gain an insider’s perspective. Natalya has published extensively in both Ukrainian and international media and is a leading figure in t...
Nov 08, 2024•43 min
Denise Dresser is a prominent Mexican political analyst, columnist, and academic. Forbes recently listed her as one of the 50 most powerful women in Mexico. With almost 5 million followers on Twitter, she is also one of the most influential opinion leaders in her country. She was recently awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government for her work on democracy, justice, gender equality, and human rights. Denise recently visited Ukraine. In this podcast, she shares her conclusions from her ...
Nov 06, 2024•51 min
Anne Applebaum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist, historian, and political analyst. A few weeks ago, she was awarded the Peace Prize of German Publishers at the Frankfurt Book Forum. Her new book, "Autocracy, Inc.", explores the fragility of today’s democracies, and an ever-stronger network of autocracies that threaten them. In this podcast, she discusses some of the book’s key ideas and Ukraine’s role in this global setting. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief...
Nov 01, 2024•43 min
Why does Ukraine need to speak with the Global South? How can it have these conversations? Is the “post-colonial” framework effective? What parallels can be drawn between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and recent and current wars in the Middle East? What can studying ISIS teach us about contemporary wars? The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Dr. Omar Ashour, Professor of Security and Military Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (Qatar) and the University of Exeter, Director of ...
Oct 30, 2024•51 min
Ukraine has started a conversation with the countries of the "Global South." This conversation is difficult, but it is opening up new prospects for understanding. What do we still lack to better understand each other? The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites you to a conversation at the PEN Ukraine / UkraineWorld event “Ukraine, South Africa, India: How can we better understand each other?” The conversation took place in Kyiv, as part of PEN Ukraine's project "In Solidarity with Ukraine", on May 2...
Oct 18, 2024•51 min
Both India and Ukraine suffered from artificial famines imposed on them by British and Russian colonial authorities, respectively. In both cases, colonialists who committed mass crimes against the indigenous populations were considered “heroes” in their imperial metropoles. Yet there were also differences in how the relations between the colonial master and the colonized were organized. It is time to analyze both the similarities and differences of these cases and to map a more comprehensive pic...
Oct 11, 2024•58 min
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 J...
Sep 26, 2024•37 min
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...
Sep 20, 2024•41 min
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, ...
Sep 18, 2024•55 min
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, chie...
Sep 17, 2024•57 min
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 podca...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 2 min
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 S...
Sep 06, 2024•41 min
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 t...
Sep 05, 2024•27 min
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 ...
Sep 02, 2024•43 min
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 Ukrai...
Jul 23, 2024•48 min
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 ...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr
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 t...
Jul 05, 2024•36 min
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 Asso...
Jul 02, 2024•48 min
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 (Was...
Jun 26, 2024•30 min
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 jour...
Jun 21, 2024•33 min
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 Eu...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr
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, 2...
Jun 11, 2024•50 min
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...
Jun 01, 2024•46 min
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 Co...
May 31, 2024•47 min
