Explaining Ukraine

Can geopolitics explain Russia’s war against Ukraine? Does the idea of “great powers’ struggle” help us understand its nature and causes? Is this war about the confrontation of values, interests, civilizations or something else? In the new episode of “Explaining Ukraine” podcast Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, talks with Danylo Lubkivsky, a Ukrainian diplomat, director of t...

Ukrainian culture is deeply rooted in the European cultural and intellectual traditions. In this episode of our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast, we are highlighting the most important of them: from Antiquity and Middle ages, through the Baroque and Romanticism, to the avant-garde art and contemporary culture. This episode is made with support of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. Hosts:...

We visited Bucha a few days ago and will tell you stories of the Russian occupation in this Kyiv suburb which became a symbol of massacres committed by the Russian army. This episode will also cover latest news from the frontline, as well as our continuing analysis of Russian propaganda. -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journal...

Russian authorities ordered to “expropriate” harvests, seeds and equipment from Ukrainian farmers in the occupied Kherson region. These orders remind of Stalin’s “requisitions” of food from Ukrainian peasants in early 1930s. This led to Holodomor, Stalin’s artificial famine in which at least 4 million of Ukrainian peasants died in 1932-1933. – We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: V...

Two months have passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We’re drawing some key conclusions: failure of the Russia’s initial plans; Ukraine’s remarkable resistance; Russian army’s immense cruelty; changes of Russian discourse about the war; some forecasts about the future. We also analyze new trends in the Russian propaganda, and give you testimonies of the war witnesses. Hosts: Volod...

How can we describe Putinism? Is it closer to far-right totalitarianisms like fascism/Nazism, or to far-left system like Stalinism? What is the nature of Russian imperialism? Is Stalinism’s heritage still alive? Our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalis...

Russian warship “Moskva” (Moscow) has sunk hit by Ukrainian “Neptun” missile; homes of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians (millions of m2) are destroyed; testimonials from this war by people having first-hand experience – in our new “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian sch...

A mysterious “Russian soul” has been an object of international admiration for centuries. We explain why this admiration is naïve. Russia's love for “wide” horizons, “borderless” thinking and “extreme” emotions has deprived it of key elements of Western civilization: the idea of balance and proportions. In the Russian culture, the distinctions between good and evil are difficult to draw. -- Hosts:...

Ukraine defeated Russia in the battle of Kyiv, and Russian troops retreated from the Northern, North-Eastern Ukraine, and South-Western Ukraine. On the contrary, Russians are concentrating troops in the East and South. In this episode of “Explaining Ukraine” podcast we are providing updates about the situation on the ground, giving human testimonies from Mariupol and analyzing Russian propaganda....

The whole world is looking at atrocities of Russian army in Kyiv suburbs: Bucha, Irpin’, Hostomel, villages on the Zhytomyr route and others. We try to explain why these atrocities could have happened and how this genocide has been made possible. Photos: https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1510694608166129665 -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrain...

How can Ukraine get peace settlement which will ensure its security in the future? Kyiv issued proposals to find alternative ways of ensuring security guarantees if it declares a non-aligned status as Russia demands. Are these proposals realistic? What risks do they contain for Ukraine’s and Europe’s security? Our guest is Mariia Zolkina, expert at Democratic Initiatives Foundation and one of the...

Russians are retreating from Kyiv outskirts but concentrating their efforts in the Eastern Ukraine. Ukraine needs arms, especially air defense, anti-missile systems and armoured vehicles, to continue its resistance. Russian propaganda presents its atrocities in Mariupol as actions by Ukrainian “Nazis”: another example how disinformation can kill, and kill massively. Human testimonies from Mariupol...

Ukraine is counterattacking Russian forces near Kyiv, in Kherson oblast and other regions. Russians are changing their rhetoric and tactics, hitting cities with missiles and saying they want to “liberate” Eastern Ukraine. Russian propaganda tries to prove that everything is fine. -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by discussing horrible consequences of Russian invasion of Ukraine. Hos...

How can we understand Russian logic? What lessons can we draw from the “great Russian culture”? What is Russia’s “negative-sum-game” and why is it crucial to understand its difference from the democratic “win-win” logic? We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by discussing horrible consequences of Russian invasion of Ukraine. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, analytics director at Internews Ukrai...

10 lessons we have learnt from one month of Russian invasion of Ukraine. About strength of Ukrainian army, weakness of Russian army, Ukrainian society and national consolidation, Russian imperialism, West’s response, return of cruelty despite “technological progress”, and fragility of our civilization. We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by discussing horrible consequences of Russian inva...

Heartbreaking human stories from Mariupol; Ukrainians counterattack near Kyiv; Russians lost more soldiers than Soviet Union during 10 years in Afghanistan. We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by discussing horrible consequences of Russian invasion of Ukraine. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, analytics director at Internews Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, in charge of international outreach at...

Language, folkloric roots, European connection, tradition and modernity, avant-garde art, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, cultural pluralism. We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by discussing the key traits of Ukrainian culture. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, analytics director at Internews Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centr...

The world should talk about Mariupol, a 500-thousand city now exterminated by the Russian army. No electricity, water, food, heating, connection, no possibility to bury the dead. "Aleppo and Srebrenica combined," says Ukrainian analyst Oleksandr Sushko. -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by sharing our analysis of the Russian invasion and Ukrainian resistance. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermole...

Who are Ukrainians? What is their identity, what is their political culture? In which way are they different from Russians? What is Ukrainian political tradition? -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by sharing our analysis of the Russian invasion and Ukrainian resistance. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, analytics director at Internews Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, in charge of internatio...

What's wrong with Russia? How can we understand this cruel and inhumane attack on Ukraine targeting civilians, hospitals, maternity houses? Why is Russia de-humanizing not only Ukrainians but its own citizens? A philosophical talk between Ukrainain philosophers Vakhtang Kebuladze and Volodymyr Yermolenko (chief editor of UkraineWorld.org). Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld

20 days of Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russian missiles hit Kyiv residential areas; humanitarian disaster in Mariupol; Ukraine's resistance is smart and brave. -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by sharing our analysis of the Russian invasion and Ukrainian resistance. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, analytics director at Internews Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, in charge of internationa...

18 days of Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russia strikes airport in Lviv oblast, 20 km away from NATO border; American journalist was killed by Russians in Irpin’; Russian army facing difficulties in advancing. -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by sharing our analysis of the Russian invasion and Ukrainian resistance. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, analytics director at Internews Ukraine,...

16 days of Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russia shells residential areas, maternity hospitals, green corridors. Big danger of a disaster at nuclear power plants, Chornobyl and Enerhodar. Belarus can join the war on Russia's side. -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by sharing our analysis of the Russian invasion and Ukrainian resistance. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, analytics director a...

Russia continues to torture civilians and shell humanitarian corridors, breaking earlier commitments to let civilians to evacuate from war-torn cities. Ukraine is begging NATO to close the skies over the country or at least to provide more air defense systems. There is a humanitarian disaster in the Kyiv suburbs. We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by sharing our analysis of the Russian i...

Russia shells humanitarian corridors in Eastern and Northern Ukraine, breaking earlier commitments to let civilians to evacuate from the war-torn cities. NATO rejects an idea of imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, and provokes emotional reaction from president Zelensky. We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast by sharing our analysis of Russian invasion and Ukrainian resistance. Hosts: Volody...