Talking Ukraine Podcast

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, Anastasia Bezverkha of the Mnozhyna Foundation discusses the evolution of Ukrainian civil society from the Orange Revolution to today. We explore the development of Ukrainian national identity, her personal decision to return to Kyiv during wartime, and the vital role the Ukrainian diaspora continues to play in supporting Ukraine's resilience and fut...

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, longtime Kyiv resident and Ukraine commentator Peter Dickinson reflects on his life in Ukraine since 1997 and his work in English-language media, from Business Ukraine and What's On to his current role as editor of UkraineAlert.   We discuss the Orange Revolution as a turning point in Ukraine’s modern history, Russia’s recent May 9th parade, Tucker C...

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, George Woloshyn — former FEMA Associate Director and longtime Republican insider — reflects on a life that bridges American politics and humanitarian work in Ukraine. From his early involvement in the Republican Party to years spent supporting Ukraine through faith-driven initiatives, his perspective offers a unique lens on today’s moment, and what t...

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, American Iraq War veteran Carl Larson joins me to discuss his experience serving in Ukraine’s International Legion during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. We talk about his time on the ground, what motivated him to join the fight, and why he believes Ukraine’s struggle matters for American and global security. Carl also shares insights...

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, Canadian journalist Stefko Bandera discusses his ongoing project translating the private correspondence of his grandfather, Stepan Bandera, a central and highly debated figure in Ukraine’s 20th-century nationalist movement. Stefko discusses what it was like growing up as a descendant of a Ukrainian liberation leader with a controversial legacy, explo...

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, filmmaker Christina Paschyn joins me to discuss her powerful new documentary, Etched in Memory. The film highlights the stories of several Crimean Tatars as they struggle to live freely on their ancestral homeland — a land marked by deportation, repression, and renewed occupation. We explore the film’s production process, the challenges of documentin...

Ten years ago, filmmaker Damian Kolodiy and Ukrainian volunteer activist Ivan Rodichenko traveled into the Donbas to screen Freedom or Death, Kolodiy’s documentary on the Revolution of Dignity. Their journey took them to frontline cities — Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivska, and Mariupol — places that were already feeling the first tremors of a war that would reshape Ukraine. In this episode,...

In this episode, I speak with Olexander, a resident of Kyiv living through another winter of intermittent heating and electricity caused by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. He describes daily life under these conditions and shares the mood on the streets — how ordinary Ukrainians are coping, adapting, and thinking about the war.

In this episode, social scientist and public intellectual Myhailo Wynnyckyj—Associate Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy—joins me to discuss the newly released Ukraine Manifesto, a sustainable peace plan for Ukraine he recently co-authored detailing what a minimum and maximum victory could look like. We also revisit the early days of the full-scale invasion reflected in his widely read Thoughts from...

In this episode, Ukraine analyst Adrian Karatnycky breaks down the implications of the so-called “peace plan,” and why robust support for Ukraine is in America's interest. We also explore the Ukrainian government’s response to the recent corruption scandal — and what it reveals about Ukraine’s internal dynamics at a critical moment.

In this episode, Canadian journalist Neil Hauer reflects on his eigth reporting trip to Ukraine and shares vivid insights from covering the war since its onset in February 2022 — including his firsthand experience of the invasion’s first days.

In this episode, we talk with Benjamin Goldhagen — the mind behind “To the Zero Line” and “The Steel Porcupine” — about what it takes to film on the edge of a war zone, finding humanity amid destruction, and why Ukraine’s story needs to be told now. Goldhagen shares his experiences filming on the frontlines of Ukraine — capturing resilience, trauma, and the human stories behind the headlines. www....

Jonas is a former Swedish Marine who when Russia invaded Ukraine, decided that he must act to support Ukraine. For almost 4 years he drives once a month to the front lines in Ukraine donating various supplies purchased by Swedish donors. Join us for his insights into the war from both an "on the ground" and Swedish perspective.

Hanna Shelest is the Director of Security Programmes at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”, one of the top Ukrainian think-tanks. A native of Odessa, we discuss how her city and people have managed during the war, Hanna's expert perspective of the global stage vis a vis Ukraine, Russia's psychological mind games, and the various technology and techniques used by Ukraine to counter Russia's i...

Olena Trehub is the founder and Secretary General of NAKO - the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, established in Ukraine in cooperation with Transparency International in 2017. NAKO focuses on promoting good governance in the defense sector, anti-corruption reform in areas critical for national security, and due diligence in the defense industry.  Olena is currently serving her second term o...

Since the time of Covid, Vladyslav created his YouTube channel "The Metal Pilgrim" commenting on the latest happenings in the world of heavy metal music. The slick production, sharp editing combined with his insightful commentary and passion for the music grew his audience quickly. When the full scale invasion of Ukraine started in 2022, Vladyslav, who is based in Kyiv, began to fundraise to buy s...

For Episode 20 we invite previous guests and Ukraine experts, Professor Oles Motyl and Dr. Taras Kuzio to discuss their latest thoughts on developments of Russia's war on Ukraine and the dichotomy of the Trump administration. 

Brian Bonner was Chief Editor of the Kyiv Post from 2008-2021. Join us as we catch up with Brian as to what he is doing now, his reflections on journalism both in Ukraine and the US, and a general conversation about the state of recent events on the political arena.

John Shmorhun is a Ukrainian-American with over 30 years experience working in Ukraine. Shortly after Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, he and his wife, Patricia, founded "Move Ukraine", an organization dedicated to supporting internally displaced Ukrainians within Ukraine by providing both housing and rehabilitation services. Join us for in depth conversation on this initiati...

Stefan Korshak is the Kyiv Post Senior Defense Correspondent. He is from Houston, Texas and is a Yalie. He has worked in journalism in the former Soviet space for more than twenty years and currently lives in Kyiv. HIs comprehensive military blogs offer unique and detailed analyses of the movements on the front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We discuss his take on the current state of affa...

SIMON OSTROVSKY is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and PBS NewsHour Special Correspondent. Simon was senior correspondent and a founding member of the original VICE News team, winning a Dupont for his documentary "Selfie Soldiers" and two 2016 Emmy nominations for "Russian Roulette", his series on the war in Ukraine. In this episode we discuss his new documentary about Russian occupati...

Robert Van Voren is Chief Executive of the international foundation ‘Human Rights in Mental Health-FGIP’, an international foundation for mental health reform. He is also Executive Director of the Andrei Sakharov Research Center for Democratic Development and Professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania. Since 2000 he lives in Lithuania, and shuttles regularly to Ukraine, his main...

Christian Borys is the founder of Saint Javelin, a Toronto based company that makes various clothing and swag to fundraise for charities that support Ukraine. He has years of experience working as a journalist and Saint Javelin social media is a trusted information source on breaking news from Ukraine.

Maksym Eristavi is a Ukrainian journalist, writer, and author of the award-winning book “Russian Colonialism 101,” an illustrated guide to Russian colonial crimes. He was also a co-founder of Hromadske International, an independent news start-up based in Kyiv Ukraine. His current mission is to create global awareness about the Russian colonial legacy.  We discuss the west's journalistic coverage o...

Andriy Semotiuk is a Canadian and American immigration Lawyer, writer & Ukrainian leader. In this episode we discuss the legal aspects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the general standing of global current affairs, lessons from 20th Century history that are applicable today, the state of affairs in Canada, the Hollywood Trident Group and more! Join us for a wide reaching conversation!