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

In this episode, we discuss how Russia destroys Ukrainian families, kidnaps Ukrainian children — including those who have parents — and reprograms them, changing their identity, their way of thinking, their lifestyle, their homes. 

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

Guest: Kateryna Rashevska, a Ukrainian human rights lawyer, expert at the Regional Centre for Human Rights, and a tireless fighter for the liberation of Ukrainian children. 

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

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 

***
The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR

***
SUPPORT: 

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.

***
CONTENTS:


00:00 Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer at the Regional Center for Human Rights
02:00 How many Ukrainian children were deported to Russia? 
03:37 Why does Russia use words like "rescue" or "salvation" instead of "deportation"?
04:48 Ignoring the law: Why Russia refuses to return Ukrainian children 
07:54 Militarizing Ukrainian children and the role of "UNARMIA" (Young Army) 
08:25 Russia's plan to destroy the Ukrainian nation
10:36 Russia re-education: Children were taken to “camps” in Crimea and separated from their parents
15:33 The horror for parents: Losing contact and facing deprivation of parental rights as coercion
20:45 Will Putin or Lvova-Belova ever face justice?
25:33 Analysis of Melania Trump's letter to Putin
30:26 The humanitarian obligations Russia has failed to meet
35:05 Kateryna talks about her work: Submitting evidence to the ICC, proposing sanctions, and providing legal assistance 




Ukrainian children, kidnapped and reprogrammed by Russia - with Kateryna Rashevska

In this episode, we will talk about “Ukraïner”: a great initiative that has done a great deal to help rediscover Ukraine — both from within and from abroad. 

“Ukraïner” launched expeditions to villages and towns across the country, researched the lifestyles and cultures of Ukraine’s diverse communities, and created outstanding textual and visual projects that help us better understand our own land. It has also done much to tell the Ukrainian story to the world.

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

Guest: Julia Tymoshenko, head of Ukraïner.
Ukraïner website: https://www.ukrainer.net/en/ 

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

***
The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR

***
SUPPORT: 

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.

***
CONTENTS:
00:00 - Intro
01:43 - The phenomenon of the Ukraїner project
15:13 - How did the full-scale invasion reshape the project
22:13 - Challenges of spreading Ukraine’s voice abroad
27:57 - Seeking stories that resonate with foreign audiences
33:48 - Shoving Ukrainians the world's perspectives
42:53 - Communication strategy of building a mutual understanding
48:51 - Outro
49:22 - Support us



How to rediscover Ukraine: the story of Ukraïner - with Julia Tymoshenko

Ukraine is not a burden for Europe — it’s a chance for Europe.

Today, European security is unthinkable without Ukraine. Ukraine has the strongest army in Europe, a dynamic defense industry, and citizens with vast military experience.

The real question is: to what extent does Europe itself understand the threat posed by the new authoritarianisms? And to what extent does it realise that helping Ukraine is, in fact, a matter of its own survival?

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

Guest: Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, a prominent Ukrainian intellectual and director of the Frontier Institute. 
Frontier Institute: https://frontier.pro-mova.com/en

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

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 

UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en

***
SUPPORT: 
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.

***
CONTENTS:
00:00 Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, Ukrainian intellectual and director of the Frontier Institute.
02:04 Has the dynamic shifted, making Ukraine a supplier of security to Europe rather than just a recipient?
07:49 Is the acute 'need' driven by war a stronger motivator for entrepreneurship and creativity than peacetime opportunity?
10:25 Why is the historical understanding of the Russian threat still proving ambivalent in some Central and Southern European countries?
15:01 Should the European Union transform into a geopolitical union by adding a military security component to its integration?
22:36 Is the Ukrainian governance model inherently more resilient because of civil society?
27:59 Why is Europe failing to find the necessary political will to take decisive action on Russian assets, sanctions, and information warfare?
30:31 Is the perception of Ukraine as a 'burden' outdated?
35:03 What about NATO?
43:48 What long-term economic and demographic impacts will follow if the current threat isn't addressed?


Why Europe’s security depends on Ukraine - with Yevhen Hlibovytskyi

How is the life of a soldier different from that of a civilian? Which aspects of it are hardest for civilians to understand?
What is happening on the frontline today — and how will the outcome of this war depend on the technological race?

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

Guest: Vladyslav Urubkov, a former soldier of the Ukrainian army and now a manager for military affairs at Come Back Alive (Povernys zhyvym) — one of Ukraine’s most prominent charitable foundations, supporting the military and veterans since 2014.
Come back alive: https://savelife.in.ua/

***
Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
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.


Being a Ukrainian soldier - what is it like? - with Vladyslav Urubkov

She is not only a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is not only one of the most visible human-rights defenders in Europe in recent decades. She is not only a tireless activist with profound empathy for others. She is also a thinker — someone who reflects deeply on the moral foundations of freedom and dignity. 

Our guest today is Oleksandra Matviychuk, a prominent Ukrainian human-rights defender and head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

In this episode, we discuss the moral ideas that hold Ukrainian society together.

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

Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
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.

***
CONTENTS:
00:00 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk: On Freedom, Dignity, and War
02:24 "Not Nobel Peace Prize changed my life - the large-scale war has changed my life" 
08:32 Torture, rape, enforced disappearances, filtration camps — the reality of Russian occupation
11:55 Why are Ukrainians not "ideal victims"?
15:57 The horror of Russian captivity: Ihor Kozlovskyi`s experience
19:44 Why is freedom existential for Ukrainians?
24:16 Ukrainian strength lies in the people's belief that their efforts matter
31:38 Over 170,000 registered Russian war crimes in Ukraine
32:18 Why is justice important now, not after the end of the war?
35:41 Why is the Russian war against Ukraine genocidal?
43:50 What gives Oleksandra Matviichuk hope today?

***
The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR


Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviychuk on Ukraine’s Moral Core

Russian propaganda claims that Ukraine is not a separate nation, but merely a “preliminary form” of Russia. Today’s Kremlin ideology seeks to annex Ukrainian history in order to justify its territorial aggression. But this myth has a birth certificate. It emerged in the 19th century, when the Russian Empire started inventing its “ancient” medieval roots. Before that, Russian travellers in Ukrainian lands showed little interest in such historical questions. 

In this episode, we trace the genealogy of the myth that Kyiv is a “Russian city” and that its history somehow belongs to Muscovy.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

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

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
Guest: Kateryna Dysa, a Ukrainian historian and Associate Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. She has been a visiting fellow at Harvard, Stanford, Paris, and Oxford, and a visiting professor at the University of Basel. Currently, she is researching how the image of Kyiv was constructed in travel literature from the late eighteenth to early twentieth centuries.

***
SUPPORT: 
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.

***
CONTENTS:
00:00	Kateryna Dysa, a Ukrainian historian and associate professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
00:15	Where and when did the myth of Kyiv belonging to Moscow actually begin?
02:05	How did 18th-century Russian travelers initially view Kyiv, and why was their interest superficial?
04:05	How did the rise of history as a discipline change Russia's perception of Kyiv?
12:17	Why did the French philosopher Madame de Staël describe Kyiv as a "semi-Tatar" or nomadic place?
15:17	What were the two extreme ways Westerners described Kyiv?
21:04	When did the annexation of the past become an "aggressive policy" and a part of Russian imperial ideology?
35:03	Why were Russian travelers unwilling to communicate with locals, stressing that Ukrainians were "the other"?
38:07	Why did Russian travelers consistently feel "not at home" in a place the Empire claimed as its "cradle"?
39:16	What aspects of Kyiv's social and cultural history in the 19th century still remain "understudied"?


***
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.


How Russia built its myth of Kyiv - with Kateryna Dysa

Ukrainian cultural heritage is not something that quietly settles into national archives. In reality, it is the result of a dramatic struggle against destruction and oblivion. This makes this heritage so magnetic—precisely because it is not always visible or accessible, yet can be reconstructed like a lost mosaic.

In this episode, we talk about what the Ukrainian cultural heritage is, and how we can understand it. And also about the role of cultural institutions during Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine. 

***
Guest: Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, a prominent Ukrainian public intellectual and art manager, director of the Art Arsenal (Mystetskyi Arsenal), one of Ukraine’s major cultural institutions. Olesia regularly appears on lists of the most influential figures in the Ukrainian cultural sphere compiled by various media and rankings.

Host: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the head of the international department at Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. She also runs the French-language podcast L’Ukraine face à la guerre.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
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.


Ukrainian culture: how to reassemble a broken picture - with Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta

What makes the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church so unique? Why is it such a remarkable attempt to bridge the divide between Eastern and Western Christianity? How can its history help us better understand the history of Europe and of the Christian religion? How has it shaped Ukrainian national identity? And how did it survive the Soviet era, when the authorities sought to eradicate it?

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

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

Guest: Natalia Shlikhta, a well-known Ukrainian historian and professor at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.


***
SUPPORT: 

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.


Why the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is unique - with Natalia Shlikhta

Ukraine has its own tradition of geopolitical thinking — a tradition that reaches deep into the past and continues to shape the country’s strategic imagination today. What are its key traits? Why was it developed more by writers than by statesmen? And how does it relate to Ukraine’s current reflection on its identity?

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

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

Guest: Danylo Lubkivsky, a Ukrainian diplomat and thinker, deputy foreign minister in 2014, and currently director of the Kyiv Security Forum. 

***
SUPPORT: 
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.


Ukrainian geopolitical thought - with Danylo Lubkivsky

Imagine an NGO that has raised over one billion dollars to support the Ukrainian army. Imagine a civil society initiative that purchases armaments and military equipment. Imagine a transparent organisation with an independent board and detailed reporting. This NGO exists — it is called “Povernys Zhyvym”, or “Come Back Alive”. It is one of the largest Ukrainian civil society foundations supporting Ukraine’s defense.

In this episode, we will speak about its work — and about the ways you can help Ukraine.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

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

Guest: Kateryna Leshchyshyn, head of the international partnerships at the Come Back Alive foundation.

***
SUPPORT: 
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.

***
The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR

***
CONTENTS:

00:00 What is Come Back Alive (Povernys Zhyvym)?
02:09 Come Back Alive`s Role: at the crossroads of the military, defence industry, and charity
04:33 Why does Ukraine need charity foundations to win?
07:49 Povernys Zhyvym buys a lot of things: from arms and vehicles to drones and chairs
09:58 Come Back Alive tests and develops new solutions
13:27 Working with foreigners: Challenges and successful stories
16:09 Why foreigners are reluctant to fund military equipment
19:34 Reality of the Ukrainian army: 80-90% of soldiers are former civilians
22:07 Who are the main donors of Come Back Alive?
29:38 Ways to support Ukraine: Spreading information, demonstrations, literature
37:37 Why donors should choose Come Back Alive



How Ukrainians fund their own defense: the story of “Come Back Alive”

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

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

UkraineWorld

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