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 Lukashenka that internal resistance to his dictatorship is increasing. There are warnings that Ukraine has been given a deadline by the West to end this war, otherwise, it might be pressed to hold talks with Russia. In this new episode of the series Around Ukraine of the podcast Explaining Ukraine, Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, speaks to UkraineWorld analyst Maksym Panchenko. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a website in English about Ukraine, brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. Support our humanitarian trips to the frontline areas: Paypal - ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

Explaining Ukraine

Can China’s peace plan stop the war? - Around Ukraine #5

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.


Is Europe ready to defend itself? - with Nicu Popescu

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

Ukraine will not give up - with Dmytro Natalukha, a Ukrainian MP

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

Russians make ordinary people suffer - with Catriona Murdoch

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

Looking at war through photography - with Jérôme Barbosa

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.


Ukrainian intellectual tradition: key traits

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. 

How Ukraine can survive in the world today - with Dmytro Kuleba

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.


The global dimension of Ukrainian culture

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.

How Hetman Mazepa Became a Global Cultural Figure

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.


Rethinking the 20th-century intellectual legacy - with David Rieff

A podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a multimedia project about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine, its politics, society and its culture. Support us: patreon.com/ukraineworld

Can China’s peace plan stop the war? - Around Ukraine #5

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