Explaining Ukraine

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 Ki...

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 jo...

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 s...

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 H...

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 t...

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...

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 inte...

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 An...

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 Luka...

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? UkraineW...

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 agains...

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,...

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. Or...

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 th...

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...

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, disto...

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...

In this episode of our Around Ukraine series, we discuss the 9th Ramstein meeting held this week; the latest mass wave of Russian missile strikes against Ukraine, with one missile allegedly flying over a NATO member’s territory; and increasing calls from the Western governments to their nationals to leave the territories of Russia and Belarus. Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, spe...

In this episode of our Propaganda Diary, we look at how Russian propagandists have responded to the catastrophic earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, as well as how they continue to threaten missile strikes on European capitals, and how they try to dismiss the idea of a tribunal against Putin and his regime. Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analysts Alona Hrysh...

In this episode of our series Around Ukraine, we talk about the EU-Ukraine summit held in Kyiv and strong EU support for Ukraine’s victory and recovery. Also, President Volodymyr Zelensky visits London and Paris, and Ukraine shows solidarity with the Turkish and Syrian peoples after their horrible earthquake. Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld’s analyst Maksy...

This war is full of incredible stories of Ukrainians who resisted the Russian invasion. We went to northeastern Ukraine, right along the Russian border, and talked to people there who lived through very difficult moments one year ago. In this episode, we will tell you their stories. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Oga...

Northeastern Ukraine, one of the most vulnerable areas of the country, is very close to the border with Russia. How did this region get through the Russian invasion one year ago, and how is it living now? We went to the borderlands of Sumy Oblast, in northeastern Ukraine, just a few dozen kilometers from the Russian border, to learn more. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and jour...

Why is helping Ukraine’s small and medium enterprises a vital component of the country’s recovery from the war? What are the challenges Ukraine is and will be facing from the war’s large-scale destruction? Explaining Ukraine speaks to Dana Pavlychko, owner of Osnovy Publishing, and CEO of United for Ukraine, a foundation that provides emergency relief to people affected by the war. Volodymyr Yermo...

In our new series, “Propaganda Diary," we analyze both new and recurring topics of Russian propaganda justifying the current invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, we look at how Russian propagandists responded to the news that Ukraine’s allies decided to supply the country with modern tanks. Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analysts Alona Hryshko and Anasta...

In our new series, “Around Ukraine," we analyze the international context of the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, to understand how it can influence Ukraine’s resistance and resilience. In this episode, we talk about the decision by Ukraine’s allies to supply the country with modern tanks and the prospects of further arms supplies. Also, we talk about the end of the Zeman era in the Czech Repu...