How can history help us understand the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Why can Moscow not even imagine itself without Kyiv? Is Russia an empire in decline? 

The Explaining Ukraine podcast invites Professor Serhii Plokhii, a prominent Ukrainian historian, director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI), and author of numerous books about Ukraine, Russia, and Eastern Europe. His latest book is The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History.

This conversation was held in Kyiv on May 24th, 2024, before Plokhii met with the Ukrainian public at the UkraineWorld Club and PEN Ukraine. 

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 frontlines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Check two other podcasts with Plokhii:

What Makes Ukrainian History Interesting to the World
https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-46-ukrainian-history

World War II and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-223

Serhii Plokhii on the historical context of the Russo-Ukrainian war

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.


Black Americans and Ukrainians: Unexpected Parallels – with Terrell Jermaine Starr

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



How to win an information war? - with Peter Pomerantsev

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

Hannah Arendt on evil: what can we learn from her today? - with Marci Shore

Why is Georgia drifting toward authoritarianism? Why is its current government aligning more closely with Russia and blaming its predecessors for Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia? How are the histories of Ukraine and Georgia deeply intertwined—and why are these two countries key to understanding Eastern Europe?

My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I am a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

My guest today is Tornike Gordadze, former Georgian State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration. He currently teaches at Sciences Po and the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris. We recorded this conversation in Tbilisi during the vibrant Zeg Festival, where both Tornike and I were participants.

The Explaining Ukraine podcast is produced by 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, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

Contents:

00:00 – Tornike Gordadze, a former Georgian minister 
01:35 –  Does the Russian imperialism connect Georgia and Ukraine?
02:53 – Georgians fight for Ukraine. Why?
06:00 – The Russian war methodology in Georgia and Ukraine 
08:00 – The NATO Missed Chance: Bucharest Summit 2008 and its consequences
10:10 – How did the West's fear empower Russia?
15:00 – Georgia, Syria, Ukraine: Russia didn't pay any price for the interventions
17:00 –  The West was not strong
19:00 – Georgia’s Transformation: From Rose Revolution to political decay
20:22 – Why is Russia afraid of the successful democracies next door?
24:04 – Who was Saakashvili?
26:30 – The rise of Georgian Dream - did Russia win?
28:59 – Russian or Belarusian playbook in Georgia
30:57 – Why would Georgia destroy all connections with the West?
33:40 – Why does Orban support the Georgia authorities?
36:15 – Bratislava speech of Macron: Russia is not only a threat to Ukraine but also to Europe
38:30 – Two shocks for Europe
40:16 – The future of the European continent is in danger – Gordadze

Look at Georgia to Better Understand Ukraine and Russia – with Tornike Gordadze

This is a new kind of war. Drones have fundamentally changed its nature—and continue to do so every day. The threats now come from above, not just ahead. If you’re wounded, medics may not reach you quickly because of the drone threat. Dugouts should be less massive—and more concealed.

And the drones themselves are diverse: small and large, for observation and for attack, for bombing and for supply. Let’s try to understand this evolving battlefield.

***

My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko, I am a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

My guest today is Nataliya Gumenyuk, a leading Ukrainian journalist and co-founder of the Reckoning Project, which combines war crimes documentation with journalism. Nataliya recently embedded with three Ukrainian brigades to study drone warfare in depth. 

She wrote a major article for "The Atlantic".
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/05/ukraine-troops-front-lines/682910/

In this episode, I asked her to share what she saw and what she learned.

***

The Explaining Ukraine podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

You can support our work on Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. 
Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our frontline volunteer efforts, where we assist both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

Contents: 

00:00 Intro
02:10 How is drone warfare changing the Russia-Ukraine war?
05:22 Why and how the frontline became transparent
14:59 Different types of drones and their purposes
27:51 Scaling or diversity: is Russia leading in the drone manufacturing?
32:11 Danger of the fiber-optic drones
37:42 What are the Ukrainian production capacities?
39:42 Ukraine strikes deep: Operation Spiderweb
42:29 What challenges does Ukraine face in drone production and how can international partners best support these efforts?
52:18 Support our work: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld



How Drones Are Dramatically Changing the War – with Nataliya Gumenyuk

Joseph Stiglitz is a world-renowned economist and thinker who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001. 

I met him in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in June 2025 during the inspiring Zeg Festival in which we both participated. 

In this podcast episode, we spoke about his latest book, "The Road to Freedom", published last year, and about how flawed ideas of freedom can ultimately undermine freedom itself. I also asked him what the world can do to stop Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.

***

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

UkraineWorld is an English-language media outlet focusing on Ukraine and its connections with the wider world. This media outlet is run by Internews Ukraine. 

This episode is also made in partnership with "Politeia", a Ukrainian NGO focusing on preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine.

***

You can support UkraineWorld on Patreon (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 provide aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

Contents: 

0:00:00 - Intro 
0:02:24 - How does "The Road to Freedom" compare to Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" and Snyder's "The Road to Unfreedom"?
0:02:45 - What are Stiglitz’s main criticisms of neoliberalism?
0:08:09 - What's the core flaw in the concept of "limitless freedom"?
0:17:33 - How is Russia undermining democracy?
0:19:00 - What steps can Europe take with frozen Russian assets for Ukraine?
0:20:46 - Why won't seizing Russian assets cause a capital crisis or violate rule of law?
0:27:22 - How can good regulation foster beneficial innovation, not just exploitation?



Nobel-Winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz on the Failures of Neoliberalism and Sanctions Against Russia

Propaganda has long been a powerful tool for shaping public opinion, influencing international discourse, and justifying military actions. In Russia’s war against Ukraine, propaganda has been a central instrument for creating narratives that legitimize aggression, undermine democracy, and manipulate perceptions both domestically and internationally.

This episode is a recording of a public event held by Central European University in Vienna. The speakers of the event were: 

- Teresa Marques, a philosopher of language, Associate Professor  at the Philosophy Department of the University of Barcelona
- Juliane Fürst, a historian, professor at the Department of Historical Studies at Central European University. 
- Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, president of PEN Ukraine and chief editor of UkraineWorld. 

The event was moderated by Fabio Lampert, Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Vienna.

It was organized by the Knowledge in Crisis, a Cluster of Excellence supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

***

UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country’s leading media NGOs. You can support our work at patreon.com/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly contribution 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.

***

Contents: 


00:00 Intro
01:59 The story from Bucha
07:02 How can philosophers define propaganda?
13:31 How crucial was propaganda for the Soviet Union?
18:58 How does Russia frame information?
24:01 How does virtuality become reality? 
33:34 Weaponization of the language
40:09 Putin’s rhetoric in the Russian-Ukrainian war
49:54 What role does the information play in the Russian-Ukrainian war?
01:00 How do we counter propaganda?
01:14 Q&A
01:18 How does Russian propaganda name this war: the tactic of blaming the victim
01:22 Skeptical view: Is propaganda ineffective?
01:36 How does propaganda shape the war perceptions of Russia’s National Republics?
01:44 Isolationism as a new narrative
01:56 Outro


Propaganda: shaping narratives in times of war. A public discussion at CEU, Vienna

There are foreigners fighting for Ukraine in this war — but their numbers are small.
They are not sent by their governments; they come as volunteers, driven by a personal sense of justice and a desire to help.

One of them is a British man with the callsign Caesar.

He serves in Ukraine's International Legion, fighting not only for Ukraine but for the values this struggle represents.


***

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

UkraineWorld is an English-language media outlet exploring Ukraine and its connections to the wider world. It is run by Internews Ukraine.

Choose your platform: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

***

You can SUPPORT our work on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld) — your help 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.

***

We thank the press service of the International Legion of Ukraine's Territorial Defense for assisting us in arranging this interview.  

***

Contents:

00:00 – Caesar, a British veteran, fights for Ukraine
01:15 – Why did Caesar come to Ukraine?
04:19 – Why do foreigners fight for Ukraine?
06:47 – Language and communication on the front line
08:45 – Eyes in the sky: How the drones work
09:22 – Evolution of the Russia-Ukraine war
14:44 – Ukrainian vs Russian tactics of waging the war
16:20 – Are Russian commanders good at modern warfare?
19:47 – Is Ukraine becoming a global military innovator?
20:46 – Do Ukrainian soldiers teach their NATO colleagues?
21:44 – “My friends think I’m crazy”: Family and friends' reactions 
22:50 – Why Europe must support Ukraine
24:17 – Kharkiv and cities near the frontline through Caesar’s eyes
26:26 – Why Russia hits so many Ukrainian civilian targets
28:00 – Why is the Russian army so cruel?
29:09 – The hardest battle of Caesar 
30:47 – What does this war mean to Caesar?
32:58 – The origin of his call sign
33:56 - Outro. Support UkraineWorld at patreon.com/ukraineworld 


His callsign is Caesar, he’s British, and he fights for Ukraine

Myroslav Shkandrij is a prominent scholar of Ukrainian cultural history and Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

He has written extensively on topics such as avant-garde art in Ukraine, Ukrainian nationalism, Jews in Ukrainian literature, cultural imperialism, and decolonization.

His book “Russia and Ukraine: Literature and the Discourse of Empire, from Napoleonic to Postcolonial Times”, published in 2001, remains a classic text on Russian cultural imperialism and Ukrainian resistance to it.

Find the book here: https://diasporiana.org.ua/literaturoznavstvo/shkandrij-m-russia-and-ukraine-literature-and-the-discourse-of-empire-from-napoleonic-to-postcolonial-times/

***
I invited Myroslav to revisit this work and reflect on how literature has, for centuries, served as a battleground of ideas between Russia and Ukraine.

My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I’m a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

UkraineWorld.org is an English-language media outlet that explores Ukraine and its connections to the wider world. It is run by Internews Ukraine.

Choose your platform: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld 
— your help is crucial, 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 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.

***

Contents: 

00:00 - Intro. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld
08:46 - Why is assimilation so crucial to Russian imperialism?
16:59 - Were there any anti-imperial voices within Russian culture?
21:30 - Who were the key figures of Ukrainian intellectual resistance in the 19th century?
35:33 - Why did Ukraine's fight for independence fail after 1917?
40:56 - How does "decolonization" theory apply to Ukraine's struggle?

Why Russia fears Ukrainian literature - with Myroslav Shkandrij

What’s the difference between colonialism and imperialism? What types of colonialism can we identify — and which of them are playing out in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other countries?

This conversation is not purely academic. It helps us better understand what’s happening today — and what might happen tomorrow. Russian colonial and imperial practices sometimes resemble those of other empires — but at other times, they differ significantly. Russia often masks its imperial violence with nationalist mythology. It’s important to reveal why that mythology is misleading — and dangerous.

***

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Our guest today is Botakoz Kassymbekova, a renowned scholar of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She is currently Professor of Eastern European History at the University of Zurich and specializes in Soviet history, Stalinism and post-Stalinism, and Russian imperial practices. She holds a PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin.

***

Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

This episode is created in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, the country’s leading cultural diplomacy institution.

***

A quick reminder: you can SUPPORT our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld

Your support is essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also help us fund VOLUNTEER trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians.

Donations are welcome via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com


Why colonialism is more complicated than you think - with Botakoz Kassymbekova

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