Explaining Ukraine

Some might argue that the concept of evil is outdated in our relativistic age. And yet—how can we speak of war crimes, cruelty, or the neglect of human dignity without invoking the word evil? Perhaps it's time to take it seriously again, to revisit the thinkers who have grappled with its meaning. One of them, of course, is Hannah Arendt. This is a conversation about Hannah Arendt and the concept of evil, which took place in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on June 1st, at the Kyiv Book Arsenal—one of the country's major literary events. Despite the ongoing war, the fair was full of people. My guest was Marci Shore, an American intellectual, historian, and university professor. She specializes in 20th-century European intellectual history, with a particular focus on Hannah Arendt. This year, Marci co-curated the Kyiv Book Arsenal's focus topic, alongside Oksana Forostyna. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I'm a Ukrainian philosopher, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld is an English language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country's leading media NGOs. *** You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your support is vital, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly donation can make a big difference. You can also help fund our regular volunteer trips to Ukraine's front-line areas, where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians—mainly by delivering vehicles for the military and books for local communities. To support these efforts, you can donate via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** Contents: 00:00 Intro 01:18 Support our work 04:44 Why is Hannah Arendt essential to understanding the 20th and 21st centuries? 06:16 What is Hannah Arendt's concept of 'radical evil'? 07:48 How are people made superfluous? 10:12 How has World War II shaped Arendt's thought? 17:17 From “radical evil” to the “banality of evil”: connecting Arendt's key concepts. 26:34 Marci Shore on the current situation in America 30:46 Thoughts on human dignity 32:14 Is the idea that 'everyone is replaceable' starting to repeat itself? 34:49 Why Sartre's idea of “nothingness” might be dangerous? 42:14 Hannah Arendt: vita activa versus vita contemplativa 50:15 Outro

We need a fresh perspective on propaganda. The old strategies for combating misinformation are no longer effective. Simply offering fact-checks isn't enough—those ensnared by propaganda aren't searching for facts. They're searching for something deeper: identity, belonging, and meaning. This is the central argument of a new book by Peter Pomerantsev, a renowned scholar of propaganda and information warfare. "How to Win an Information War" tells the story of British journalist Sefton Delmer, who developed innovative techniques to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II. Peter explores Delmer's legacy in hopes of uncovering lessons for today. Perhaps we, too, can learn something from both of them. Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-pomerantsev/how-to-win-an-information-war/9781541774728/ Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. *** UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country's leading media NGOs. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly contribution of $5 or $10 can make a meaningful difference. You can also help fund our regular volunteer missions to Ukraine's front-line areas, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians—primarily by providing vehicles for the military and books for local communities. To support these efforts, donations can be made via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** The podcast episode is created by Internews Ukraine as part of the project “Strengthening Truth, Transparency and Democracy to Counter Disinformation”, supported by the Government of Canada. *** CONTENTS: 00:00:00 — What if fact-checks don't work anymore? 0:01:52 — He, who fooled Hitler. Meet Sefton Delmer 00:05:28 — Why did we forget those who understand what propaganda is? 00:07:05 — Why propaganda keeps coming back 00:09:59 — Why did the Nazis win those who lost their identity? 00:11:42 — Are you wearing the mask or is it glued to your face? 00:13:57 — Think you're immune? That's when propaganda hits 00:16:29 — To beat propaganda, you have to be vulnerable to it 00:18:55 — The real battle isn't between freedom and unfreedom, but about what kind of “us” we build? 00:22:50 — Delmer's radio war 00:25:53 — Weaponizing corruption: Delmer's strategy to weaken Nazi loyalty 00:30:41 — “We know you better than they do” 00:33:28 — Tuning in = waking up: breaking the Nazi spell with masquerade 00:35:38 — What makes Kremlin elites panic? Not war - but losing control 00:39:39 — How to break Russian support for war? 00:44:24 — Forget regime change - exploit fear of losing grip 00:47:44 — Angry? Frustrated? That's where good media begins 00:50:02 — Do I want to die for this? The question Delmer planted in Nazi minds 00:51:00 — Propaganda, trauma, and the fight for independent thought

Terrell Jermaine Starr is a Black American journalist who spends much of his time in Ukraine. He knows the country intimately. He also recognizes the striking parallels between the experiences of Ukrainians and Black Americans in the United States. For centuries, both groups have endured systemic violence and humiliation—sometimes overt, sometimes hidden—that have pushed them into subordinate roles within societies dominated by others. In this episode, we explore these shared struggles and work toward fostering a deeper understanding between the two communities. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld and the president of PEN Ukraine. We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum, in May 2025 in Lviv, the Western part of Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Democracy is fragile today. Yet it is not confined to a single place, a specific country, or a particular political system. The democratic promise remains far from fully realized. Still, we can find hope in the idea that when democracy retreats in one part of the world, it may grow stronger in another. This is “Thinking in Dark Times”, a podcast series by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet focused on Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Aman Sethi, an Indian journalist and the editor-in-chief of openDemocracy—an independent international media platform based in London. We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum in May 2025, in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode is produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, the country's leading institution for cultural diplomacy.

Does Ukraine have freedom of speech during the war? How are the media surviving under such harsh conditions? How do media perspectives within Ukraine compare to those from outside the country? Guest: Ola Myrovych, CEO of the Lviv Media Forum—one of the largest media events in Ukraine. We're recording this conversation during the forum itself, in May 2025, in Lviv. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. The “Explaining Ukraine” podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

We had a conversation with Anne Applebaum a few months ago on this podcast about her book "Autocracy, Inc".—be sure to check it out: https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-332 The current episode features a public conversation on similar themes: the crisis of democracy, the rise of new autocracies, Trump's pro-Russian stance, and Russia's war against Ukraine. It was recorded as a keynote discussion at the Lviv Media Forum—one of Ukraine's major media events—in May 2025 (https://lvivmediaforum.com/en) We're now publishing it as part of our Thinking in Dark Times series at UkraineWorld. Anne Applebaum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and political analyst. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld and the president of PEN Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion has once again brought to light an old topic: the cruelty of Russian imperialism—both past and present. In this episode, we explore the major historical periods and defining features of Russian imperialism since the 16th century. This conversation will help you understand that Ukraine's experience is one of the most visible examples, but by no means the only one. Our guest today is Donnacha Ó Beacháin, an Irish political scientist, professor at Dublin City University, and author of the recent book "Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the Near Abroad" (https://cup.columbia.edu/book/unfinished-empire/9781788218016/) Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. Related episodes: Time to rethink Russian cultural imperialism - with Vitaly Chernetsky https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-305 5 things to know about Russian imperialism https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-201 Rethinking Imperialism https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EDqaafPqm5DnEtsw8sswu

In this episode, we will explore the life and works of Oleksandra Ekster, a prominent Ukrainian avant-garde artist of the early 20th century. We will discuss cubofuturism, the cultural identity of Kyiv, the role of women in Ukrainian art, and the connections between Ukrainian and European avant-garde art. Our guest for this episode is Anna Lodygina, a Ukrainian art historian and journalist. She recently published a book in Ukrainian titled "Stories of Ukrainian Artists: Oleksandra Ekster." This conversation is moderated by Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar and journalist, author of the podcast "L'Ukraine face a la guerre" (Ukraine facing the war) in French, and head of international outreach at Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. "Explaining Ukraine" is a podcast of UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial for us as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide support for both soldiers and civilians. You can donate via PayPal, ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and under the framework of the project HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine, co-funded by the EU within the ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate action.

What lessons can we draw from the Ukrainian experience? Why is Ukraine not only a place of suffering and fight, but also a place of thinking and creation? Why is the cultural renaissance so strong during the war? What does it mean to think in dark times? Lecture by Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine, at the Institute for Human Sciences (Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen) in Vienna on May 6th, 2025. Moderator and host: Ludger Hagedorn, Permanent Fellow at IWM. "Thinking in Dark Times" is a podcast series of UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial for us as we rely a lot on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver support for both soldiers and civilians. You can donate via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

We should look at wars not to build hierarchies but to understand something important about humans. Where does the violence come from? How to prevent it? What to do when it is already there? How can we defend ourselves and others? For this episode, we invited an award-winning writer V.V. Ganeshananthan. Her novel "Brotherless Night" tells a story of the civil war in Sri Lanka that has lasted for more than 25 years. The book won Women's Prize for Fiction 2024 and the Asian Prize for Fiction in 2023. In this conversation we tried to connect war experiences in Sri Lanka and Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, the chief editor of UkraineWorld and the president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine, and based in Kyiv. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode was produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution, and NGO Cultural Diplomacy Foundation. "Brotherless Night": https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/453754/brotherless-night-by-ganeshananthan-v-v/9780241997673

Do dictators rule by death and nihilism? Do they want to make us powerless - and do they succeed? Is today's crisis also our chance? This is an online conversation between Polish philosopher Krzysztof Czyzewski, American historian Marci Shore, Georgian writer Iva Pezuashvili, and Ukrainian philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko. The event was held under the aegis of Dilemma project implemented by the Institute for Central European Strategy with the support of the European Commission Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Why is Russia using World War II as its major historical anchor? Why is the end of World War II seen in Ukraine as a victory of one evil over another, rather than a victory of good over evil? What was Ukraine's role in World War II? Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and writer, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, president of PEN Ukraine. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. More information: Historian Serhii Plokhii: World War II and the Russian invasion of Ukraine - Vol. 1 https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-223 What Russian Propaganda Says about Ukraine's History? Analysis and Deconstruction https://ukraineworld.org/en/articles/books/re-vision-of-history-book

Margaret Atwood is perhaps one of the greatest living writers today. Her novel "The Handmaid's Tale" and its continuation, "The Testaments," are seen by many as prophetic. This is a conversation about dangers and hopes, about human nature, the classics, and the challenges of dark times. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. "Thinking in Dark Times" is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine based in Kyiv. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Our media is increasingly relying on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas of the Russian war against Ukraine via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. We are trying to help both soldiers and civilians.

We have a lot to share with each other. We won't agree on everything. Often, what is “good” for one may be “bad” for the other. And yet, this conversation is necessary — and it's interesting. A perspective from Africa on Ukraine can offer a fresh viewpoint. Likewise, a Ukrainian perspective on Africa can do the same. At the very least, let's try. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and the chief editor of UkraineWorld. Our guest today is Simon Allison, co-founder of The Continent (https://www.thecontinent.org/), Africa's most widely distributed newspaper. UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to front-line areas, where we assist both soldiers and civilians — mainly by delivering vehicles for soldiers and books for civilians. Donations can be made via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode was produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution, and NGO Cultural Diplomacy Foundation.

Ukrainian modernist literature is one of the golden ages of Ukrainian cultural history. In this episode, we'll explore why that is—and why the questions raised during this period, spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries, remain deeply relevant today. "Explaining Ukraine" is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet focused on Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Rostyslav Semkiv, a Ukrainian literary scholar, associate professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and director of the publishing house Smoloskyp. Writers mentioned in this podcast: Modernists - Lesya Ukrainka, Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky, Olha Kobylianska, Vasyl Stefanyk. Others: Ivan Franko, Marko Vovchok, Olena Pchilka, Vasyl Stus, Serhiy Zhadan, Kateryna Kalytko and others. UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Heritage Ukraine project supported by the European Union's Erasmus programme.

They have already become our friends: Jaap Scholten and a group of courageous Dutch writers, photographers, artists, and rugby players who come regularly to Ukraine to bring vehicles to the Ukrainian soldiers. We have already had conversations with some of them:  https://soundcloud.com/user-579586558/ep-287  https://soundcloud.com/user-579586558/ep-270 This time, we held a big event at PEN Ukraine and UkraineWorld to talk about inspiration, courage, fatigue, freedom, and the need to act. Guests: Tommy Wieringa, an acclaimed Dutch writer and ambassador of ProtectUkraine.nl, joined five of the most recent convoys of Protect Ukraine to Izyum and beyond.  Maurits Chabot, a writer and historian, co-author of the book for the National Book Week of the Netherlands 2025, joined Protect Ukraine on two convoys.  Jaap Scholten, an author and anthropologist, founder of ProtectUkraine.nl.  Eddy van Wessel, a prize-winning and internationally respected photographer, has independently traveled to Ukraine since the 2022 full-scale invasion, documenting the ongoing war. Moderator: Anastasiia Herasymchuk, Deputy Editor-in-Chief at UkraineWorld. ProtectUkraine.nl is a Dutch NGO focused on supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the frontlines with defensive materials. "Explaining Ukraine" is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet about Ukraine. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. We really need your support now because our media is increasingly relying on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we help both soldiers and civilians, bringing mostly cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode is a recording of an event held by UkraineWorld and PEN Ukraine on January 30th, 2025

You probably all know the Black Square, a famous avant-garde painting that has radically changed the way we think about art. You've probably heard that this painting was created by Kazymyr Malevych, a “Russian painter”. But he was not Russian. He comes from Polish and Ukrainian descent, and the Ukrainian sources of his creativity and thinking are huge. In this episode, we will try to explain why it is important to look at Malevych as a Ukrainian artist. Our guest is Tetyana Filevska, a Ukrainian art historian, the creative director of the Ukrainian Institute, the country's major cultural diplomacy institution. She is interviewed by Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar and journalist, an expert at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, and a lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. "Explaining Ukraine" is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet focused on Ukraine. UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at patreon.com/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Heritage Ukraine project supported by the European Union's Erasmus programme.

Which 20th-century ideas should we carry with us into the 21st century? And which of them have become obsolete? We discuss these topics during a live event with David Rieff, a prominent American writer and journalist. The discussion was held on March 1st at PEN Ukraine space in Kyiv, and was organized by UkraineWorld, PEN Ukraine and Thinking in Dark Times podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and the chief editor of UkraineWorld, the president of PEN Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar, and author of the French-language podcast L'Ukraine face a la guerre by the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Both are lecturers at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the oldest Ukrainian university. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet focused on Ukraine. UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Ivan Mazepa is a renowned Ukrainian leader who made significant contributions to the flourishing of Ukrainian culture and the Cossack state in the late 17th century. Because of his desire for Ukraine's freedom from Muscovy, Mazepa aligned himself with the Swedish king Charles XII in a war against the Russian tsar Peter I, ultimately losing the decisive battle near Poltava in seventeen o nine However, in the 19th century, Mazepa became a prominent cultural figure. George Gordon Byron, Victor Hugo, Juliusz Słowacki, Franz Liszt, and Eugène Delacroix created poems, musical compositions, and paintings depicting him as a young man, a political and sexual rebel. This portrayal of Mazepa gained popularity globally, reaching as far as South Africa and the United States. We delved into this story with Tony Voss, a South African university professor, Professor Emeritus and research associate of the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, and Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet focused on Ukraine. UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This article was produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution, and NGO Cultural Diplomacy Foundation.

The Russian and Soviet imperial narratives tried to persuade us that Ukrainian culture is provincial. It is not. It is very global and is enshrined in many interesting topics of the wider world. In this episode, we delve into these trajectories of ideas. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, the president of PEN Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar, and author of the French-language podcast “L'Ukraine face a la guerre” by the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Both are lecturers at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the oldest Ukrainian university. This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv Mohyla Academy and project “Heritage Ukraine” supported by the European Union's Erasmus programme We greatly appreciate your support for our work at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. Your contribution is crucial as our media increasingly depends on crowdfunding. Additionally, you can also support our volunteer trips to the front line areas where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians. We bring essential supplies such as cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips by donating through PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

How can Ukraine adapt to the new world that has emerged? Has America ceased to be its key partner? Is Europe ready to step in, and what does it need to do? Where else can Ukraine find its partners? Our guest is Dmytro Kuleba, a prominent Ukrainian diplomat and intellectual who served as Ukraine's foreign minister from 2020 to 2024. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet focused on Ukraine. UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This is podcast is made with support from the International Renaissance Foundation.

Let's explore the Ukrainian intellectual tradition. What recurring ideas can be found in Ukrainian philosophy, literature, and historiography? What are the key topics of ongoing debates in these fields? Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and the chief editor of UkraineWorld, the president of PEN Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar, and author of the French-language podcast "L'Ukraine face a la guerre" by the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Both are lecturers at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the oldest Ukrainian university. This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and project Heritage Ukraine supported by the European Union's Erasmus programme -- UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. We greatly appreciate your support for our work at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld Your contribution is crucial as our media increasingly depends on crowdfunding. Additionally, you can also support our volunteer trips to the front line areas where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians. We bring essential supplies such as cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips by donating through PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

War photography is not just about capturing destruction—it is about witnessing history, shaping narratives, and conveying human resilience. What motivates a photographer to enter a war zone, and how does this experience transform their perception of the reality? The guest of the Explaining Ukraine podcast is Jérôme Barbosa, an independent photographer who has ventured into Ukraine during wartime. 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. This episode is made with support from the International Renaissance Foundation

The humiliation of civilians is one of the widespread tactics of the Russian army. It uses starvation and deprivation as a war technique, and shells civilian targets when there are no military facilities around. We are discussing this issue with Catriona Murdoch, Vice-President of Global Rights Compliance. Catriona is an international criminal and human rights expert with over 13 years of experience. She leads the Starvation Portfolio at Global Rights Compliance, a foundation comprised of international lawyers and development experts with a mission to achieve justice through the innovative application of international law. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet about Ukraine. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We really need your support now because our media is increasingly relying on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas, where we help both soldiers and civilians - bringing mostly cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. This episode is made with support from the International Renaissance Foundation

Feelings inside and outside Ukraine are different. Outside, most people think Ukraine is doomed. Inside, most believe Ukraine will stand and never give up. I share the inside view, as does my guest today—a very active member of the Ukrainian parliament. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. My guest today is Dmytro Natalukha, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, and the chairman of the economics affairs committee. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet about Ukraine. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. We really need your support now because our media is increasingly relying on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas, where we help both soldiers and civilians - bringing mostly cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

Trump made Europe lonely. Europe feels abandoned and perplexed in its geopolitical solitude. What it does not yet fully understand, though, is how insecure it has become. And how it should now learn from Ukraine, and not only teach it. Only if Europe understands that Ukraine is not its problem, but part of its solution, and that defending Ukraine means defending Europe, both will survive. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. My guest today is Nicu Popescu, former vice prime minister of Moldova, and currently a distinguished policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a multilingual media outlet about Ukraine. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. You can support our work at www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We really need your support now because our media is increasingly relying on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas, where we help both soldiers and civilians - bringing mostly cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

There is a striking parallel between the Russian war crimes in Syria and Ukraine. In both cases, the Russian army has been using extreme violence not to achieve military means, but to intimidate people and impose a tyrannical power over them through fear. Our guest today is Raji Abdul Salam, a legal data archive analyst with experience in documenting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and attempted genocides in Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. Currently, he works as the chief legal data archivist at The Reckoning Project (https://www.thereckoningproject.com/) Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko – Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is a multilingual media about Ukraine produced by Internews Ukraine, one of the country's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/ukraineworld – we offer exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

What is happening on the frontline of the Russo-Ukrainian war? How is the war changing technologically? What does Ukraine need from its partners? Why is Europe slow and indecisive - and why is it wrong? The guest of the Explaining Ukraine podcast is Gustav Gressel, an Austrian political and military analyst, former Senior Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and currently a Researcher at the National Defence Academy Vienna Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld and the 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 need your support now, because our media is more and more relying on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Timothy Snyder came to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, to present his book "On Freedom". We have had several conversations about the ideas of this book before (in Kyiv and Kharkiv), and you can find links to the podcast episodes featuring these discussions in the description. However, this was the first time we talked about this book after its publication. We recorded this conversation on February 9, 2025, at the Sense bookstore on Khreshchatyk Street, in the heart of the Ukrainian capital, very close to Maidan. Several hundred people attended, with many staying despite the lack of available seats. Most of them were young. This demonstrates how important reading and critical thinking are for Ukrainians today. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko – Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. The Ukrainian translation of this book was done by Choven Publishing House (translator: Halyna Herasym), with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is a multilingual media about Ukraine produced by Internews Ukraine, one of the country's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/ukraineworld – we offer exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. Other conversations with Timothy Snyder: Kyiv, September 2022 www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHksNrj7elQ&t=10s https://soundcloud.com/user-579586558/ep-144 Kyiv, September 2023 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LkXsW14qJQ&t=724s https://soundcloud.com/user-579586558/ep-258 Kharkiv, September 2024 www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR0bqQy5gzA&t=9s https://soundcloud.com/user-579586558/snyder-kharkiv -- Contents: 01:54 - «I feel in Ukraine better than in most other places» 02:44 - being a historian who wrote a philosophy book 07:17 - What can the Ukrainian experience tell other nations about freedom? 12:45 - positive freedom (freedom-to) vs negative freedom (freedom-from). «Freedom isn't just the absence of evil, but the presence of good» 15:44 - thinking about positive and negative freedom in America and Ukraine 20:30 - freedom and values 24:55 - freedom and sovereignty 32:47 - freedom and unpredictability 41:13 - the metaphor of the bell 45:07 - freedom during military occupation and de-occupation 50:30 - is history repeating itself? 1:00:00 - on social networks 1:11:50 - which values can unite Ukrainians during the war? 01:14:50 - rethinking Ukrainian history from the global perspective

What have we learned from the year 2024 in Ukraine? What have been the key trends on the frontline? What does Ukraine need to defend its sovereignty? What are Russia's goals in this war, and what are the keys to achieving sustainable peace? In this episode of the Explaining Ukraine podcast, the guest is Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian intellectual, literary scholar, and journalist, the head of the international outreach department at Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, lecturer at Kyiv Mohyla Academy, and author of the podcast in French, Ukraine face a la guerre. Here are our personal conclusions from this year. L'Ukraine Face à la guerre podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qaLEtzl4lWiQTIEfeMenD Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko – Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is produced by Internews Ukraine, one of the country's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/ukraineworld – we offer exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Trump wants to stop Russia's war against Ukraine, but what difficulties will he face? Why must he genuinely engage with Ukraine and the EU to achieve this goal? What leverage does he have to encourage Putin to negotiate? Why does any peace in this context need to be sustainable? In this episode of the Explaining Ukraine podcast, the guest is Fredrik Wesslau, a Swedish diplomat and analyst who has worked for many years in Ukraine. Wesslau is currently a Senior Advisor at Rasmussen Global and a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS). Until December 2022, he served in Kyiv as Deputy Head of the EU Advisory Mission in Ukraine. Fredrik has also held the position of Director of the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko – Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is produced by Internews Ukraine, one of the country's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/ukraineworld – we offer exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Brazil has the 3rd largest Ukrainian community in the Americas. Over half a million Brazilians have Ukrainian origins, with most of them descendants of 19th century labor migrants. In this episode, we navigate through the unexpected links between the two countries, and analyze why relations between Brazil and Ukraine are difficult today. The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites you to a conversation at the PEN Ukraine / UkraineWorld event with Brazilian authors. The conversation took place in Kyiv, at PEN Ukraine's headquarters, in September, 2024. The event was held within PEN Ukraine's programme “Solidarity with Ukraine” supported by the International Renaissance Foundation. Participants: Sérgio Utsch, Brazilian journalist; Flávia Tavares, chief editor of Meio online media; Guto Pasko, Brazilian filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer with Ukrainian origins. 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. Interpretation (Ukrainian - English): Anna Vovchenko This episode is produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, the country's major public and cultural diplomacy institution.

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, missiles, and drones, mostly hitting civilian buildings and causing casualties among civilians. Despite this, Kharkiv remains one of the key centers of Ukrainian cultural life. Our conversation took place in an underground shelter, to ensure safety against possible Russian attacks. For safety reasons, the audience was carefully selected by invitation, without public announcements. Despite the dangers, about a hundred Kharkiv artists, writers, journalists, students, and university instructors came, with many of them contributing questions. The cooperation of several organizations made this meeting happen: UkraineWorld (Internews Ukraine), the Kharkiv Literature Museum, Kharkiv Media Hub, PEN Ukraine, Art Area, and the Public Interest Journalism Lab. The meeting was moderated by Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine This is an English-only version of this conversation. Watch it in English AND Ukrainian here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A37SHxcCYS0 Ця версія розмови - англійською. Подивитися і послухати її англійською з УКРАЇНСЬКИМ перекладом можна тут: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A37SHxcCYS0 UkraineWorld is a multi-lingual media about Ukraine brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Other conversations with Timothy Snyder by UkraineWorld: Timothy Snyder: Freedom as a Value and a Task - a Talk in Kyiv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LkXsW14qJQ&t=722s Timothy Snyder: Ukraine, the War, and the Plurality of Values https://youtu.be/BHksNrj7elQ?si=YhU-S4QbSsFrm7Pc Timothy Snyder, Marci Shore, and Volodymyr Yermolenko at Yale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRRduBjkdxw&t=933s Support our work: patreon.com/ukraineworld Support our volunteer trips to the warzones on PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

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 Council “Ukrainian Prism”. In this episode, Deputy editor-in-chief at UkraineWorld Anastasiia Herasymchuk spoke with Caio Favaretto, Co-founder and Director of Maranta Inteligência Política, Professor of the Graduate Program in Economic and Business Criminal Law at Mackenzie Presbyterian University and Ivan Fechko, Expert of the Latin America and Caribbean Program at the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 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.

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 Prism”. In this episode, Deputy editor-in-chief at UkraineWorld Anastasiia Herasymchuk spoke with Tomonori Yoshizaki, from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and Anastasia Polishchuk, from the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" and Waseda University 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.

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 writer at Bloomberg News, and author of the new book "Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia". Stephanie has reported a lot from Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, and believes that Russia is more vulnerable than we think. Link to the book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Punishing-Putin/Stephanie-Baker/9781668050583 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.

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/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. You can find these links in the description of this episode

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 president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one 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 Department of Philosophy at the University of Tartu, which recently published a special issue of their journal on the Russia-Ukraine war.

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 the Public Interest Journalism Lab and the Reckoning Project. 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: 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.

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 visit, a global view of how democracies are becoming fragile worldwide, including in Latin America, and why Ukraine's fight matters to the rest of the world. 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 Institute (https://ui.org.ua/en/), the country's major public and cultural diplomacy institution.

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 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. --- Link to Anne Applebaum's book: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/455382/autocracy-inc-by-applebaum-anne/9780241627891 Link to Anne Applebaum's Frankfurt speech: https://ukraineworld.org/en/articles/opinions/speech-frankfurt-book-fair

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 the Strategic Studies Unit at the Centre for Research and Policy Studies 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 Institute, the country's major public and cultural diplomacy institution.

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, at PEN Ukraine space, on May 2nd, 2024. Guests: Damon Galgut, a South African writer, winner of the Booker Prize in 2021 for his novel The Promise. His work has been translated into 35 languages. Anjan Sundaram, an Indian author, journalist, and academic, winner of 2015 Frontline Club prize for his war reporting from the Central African Republic. Sundaram also received a Reuters environmental journalism prize in 2006 for his reporting from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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. This podcast episode is produced with the support of the Ukrainian Institute (https://ui.org.ua/en/). The full episode is available for UkraineWorld's patrons at https://www.patreon.com/posts/114232265

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 picture of the imperialisms and colonialisms of the past and present. The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites you to a conversation at the PEN Ukraine / UkraineWorld event “Learning more about each other: Indian authors in Ukraine.” The conversation took place in Kyiv, at PEN Ukraine's headquarters, on April 17th, 2024. Guests: Tehnaz J. Dastoor - human rights activist and the UNICEF ex-Global Coordinator for Landmines and Focal Point for Child Soldiers Bishan Samaddar - Director at Seagull Books, an Indian publishing house specializing in translating world 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 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. This episode has been made with the support of the Ukrainian Institute (https://ui.org.ua/) The full version of this episode (with Q&A section) is available for UkraineWorld patrons at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113800708?pr=true

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.