Explaining Ukraine

When people look at this war from the outside, they often ask one question: When will it end? Many assume that if a ceasefire is reached, the war will be over and life will return to normal.

But we should not confuse a ceasefire with a lasting peace—or, more importantly, with a just peace that restores Ukraine’s rights. Thinking about a possible ceasefire, therefore, also means thinking about its risks, not only its opportunities.

This is the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast.

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“Explaining Ukraine” is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet run by Internews Ukraine.

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

Guests: experts at Chatham House, the renowned London-based think tank:
- Orysia Lutsevych, Head of the Ukraine Forum and Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme, and
- John Lough, an Associate Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Programme.

Together with their colleagues, Simon Smith and Keir Giles, they wrote a report, “How a Russia–Ukraine ceasefire could imperil Ukrainian and European security”. In this episode, we will talk about its major arguments.

Read the Chatham House Report: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/05/how-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-could-imperil-ukrainian-and-european-security

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

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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.

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CONTENTS:

01:57: Why is discussing a ceasefire, rather than victory or justice, a risk for Ukraine and its partners?
02:48: How does Chatham House view the possibility of a ceasefire, despite having previously argued for Ukrainian victory?
04:27: Do current events in Russia and potential political shifts in the US make a ceasefire a more plausible scenario?
07:13: What are the critical risks for Ukraine, including its sovereignty, economy, and social fabric, in the event of a ceasefire?
11:31: Will European nations maintain their resolve against Russia, or will a ceasefire lead to a desire to return to "business as usual"?
15:07: How will Ukraine manage the challenges of internal resilience, veteran reintegration, and democratic elections during a potential ceasefire?
22:15: How can the international community prevent a temporary ceasefire from morphing into a permanent, unrecognized occupation, akin to historical examples?
26:50: Has the mood within Ukraine shifted, with increased confidence in its ability to reclaim territory and resist pressure for an unfavorable ceasefire?
31:21: What are Chatham House's key recommendations for Europe to enforce a ceasefire, deter Russia, and support Ukraine's security?
37:45: What strategic priorities and reforms should Ukraine undertake to build its future military force and integrate with Europe after a ceasefire?
42:16: What are the significant risks for Ukraine and Europe if a ceasefire is not achieved and the war continues indefinitely?
45:39: Can Ukraine leverage its technological advancements to achieve a decisive military defeat of Russia, or does continued conflict pose greater dangers?

Many things have changed this year. Ukraine is now striking targets deep inside Russian territory on a regular basis. Russia’s traditional strengths—its vast territory and abundant resources—are increasingly becoming liabilities. The war may be approaching a turning point. It is time to seriously consider that a Ukrainian victory is not only possible but also the only viable path to a lasting peace.

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

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

Guest: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian intellectual and journalist, head of the international service of Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, lecturer at Kyiv Mohyla Academy and author of the podcast “L’Ukraine face a la guerre”, Ukraine facing the war, in French.

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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:

00:04: Is the war approaching a turning point, and is Ukrainian victory the only viable path to lasting peace?
03:09: How have drones transformed the front line into an extended "kill zone," and what were the recent observations from Kherson?
07:52: Is Ukraine now scaling up its technological innovations to match or surpass Russia's quantity in warfare?
10:07: How are Ukrainian deep strikes impacting Russian territory, specifically oil refineries and fuel supply?
14:04: Why do Russian citizens react with confusion and blame towards their government, unlike Ukrainians who direct anger at the aggressor?
19:00: How does the Russian population describe the war's impact as an impersonal "natural disaster," avoiding direct political connections?
22:00: How is Ukraine strategically turning Russia's traditional strengths, such as vast territory and resources, into liabilities?
26:08: Can Ukraine's decentralized society and innovative use of cost-effective technology overcome Russia's military advantages?
30:08: What are the major challenges Ukraine faces, from Russian advances in Donbas to shifts in international political support?
33:19: Why should the discourse shift from "war and peace" to "war and victory" as Ukraine seeks to secure its future?

I read this book with absolute passion. While it is a novel, it is truly an epic—the story of a family told through the greatest upheavals and disasters of the 20th century. Although it is set in Greece, we Ukrainians can deeply relate to this story: a narrative where global events shape your life far more than your own plans.

It is a novel about national conflicts and population displacements, fascism and communism, World War II, violence from all sides. It explores the trap of "revolutionary struggle," the dilemmas of duty versus life, and self-sacrifice versus human happiness.

The novel is called "Niki", and it was written by Christos Chomenidis, a prominent Greek writer. I was glad to meet him in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, where he traveled at the invitation of the Greek embassy and his Ukrainian publisher. We sat down at PEN Ukraine and spoke about Europe, the past, the future, freedom, war, and peace.

This is Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast series by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine.

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

Guest: Christos Chomenidis, a prominent, award-winning Greek writer. He has traveled to Ukraine despite the relentless Russian missile and drone strikes that regularly target the Ukrainian cities.

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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:

0:03 Intro
2:04 What brought prominent Greek writer Christos Chomenidis to Kyiv despite the ongoing war?
3:05 How does Chomenidis’ novel "Niki" weave together individual human stories with the challenging 20th-century history of Greece?
4:12 How does the experience of communism differ between Greece and Ukraine, and what forms did it take in each country?
5:56 How does the novel portray the act of destroying one's own house as a sacrifice to communist forces, and how is this understood today?
7:31 How does the novel explore the tension between duty to a greater cause and the pursuit of individual desires and happiness?
11:12 What main similarities does the author find between the Greek and Ukrainian peoples?
12:44 How did Chomenidis experience the fear of air raids in Kyiv, and what does it reveal about Ukrainian resilience?
15:28 Why was the Soviet Union, and even Stalin, romanticized in some Greek left-wing circles, and how does Chomenidis explain this perspective now?
17:41 How does modern Russian propaganda operate in Greece, and why do some Greek parties support Russia based on "zoopolitics"?
23:17 Do societies with a recent memory of authoritarianism have a stronger capacity or intuition to fight for freedom?
35:12 Why is democracy likened to a "baby"? What is freedom a "muscle" that requires constant, everyday struggle and care?
38:28 What gives Christos Chomenidis hope for the future amidst challenging times?

Although Russia claims to be waging a war against the so-called West, no other country has officially deployed its military to fight alongside Ukraine. Instead, thousands of individuals from across the globe have made the personal choice to join the Ukrainian defense. Who are these foreign volunteers risking their lives to fight the Russian invasion? What motivates them? What challenges do they face, both on the front lines and back home? How can international military cooperation be improved?
You are listening to the Explaining Ukraine podcast.

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

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

Guest: Colin Freeman, freelance foreign affairs reporter for the Daily Telegraph. Colin has reported widely on British fighters in Ukraine.

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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:

00:03 Intro. The topic of the episode
01:43 Why studying the involvement of foreign soldiers in the Russian-Ukrainian war?
04:11 How many foreign soldiers are estimated to have fought for Ukraine, and why is it so difficult to get exact figures?
06:23 Do European governments encourage their citizens to fight in Ukraine, and how does their stance compare to Russia's recruitment of foreign fighters?
08:56 What is the primary motivation of foreign volunteers for fighting given their modest salary?
09:47 What different types of foreign volunteers exist, from professional soldiers seeking combat experience to "war tourists," and how useful were they on the battlefield?
14:08 Was the initial attempt to integrate foreign fighters through the International Legion largely a success or failure - or both?
15:29 What specific bureaucratic and logistical problems did the Ukrainian army face in integrating foreign volunteers, including language barriers and lack of preparation?
20:11 Why are home governments, like the British, seemingly hesitant to tap into the combat experience of their citizens returning from Ukraine?
26:54 Does the current "blindness" of European governments to this unique combat experience echo historical parallels, like the Spanish Civil War, with potential cultural and military consequences?
30:18 If Ukraine needs more soldiers, how can it improve its recruitment and integration of foreign volunteers to avoid the mistakes of 2022?
34:43 What crucial lessons should European militaries and governments learn from the foreign fighters' experiences in Ukraine for future conflicts?

On March 16, 2022, the Russian army committed one of the gravest war crimes of its invasion of Ukraine. It dropped air bombs on the Mariupol Drama Theatre, knowing that around a thousand civilians were sheltering inside, seeking refuge from Russian shelling. It did so despite the huge inscriptions reading “Children” — written in Russian on both sides of the theatre — clearly visible from the air as a warning to any potential bomber.

In this episode, we analyse this crime with the help of a journalist who spent several years speaking with dozens of survivors. You are listening to the Explaining Ukraine podcast.

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

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, Chief Editor of UkraineWorld, and President of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: James Verini, an American journalist and book writer who wrote for The New York Times and other papers. He recently published a book, The Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War. The book was published this year by Simon & Schuster.

Link to the book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Theater/James-Verini/9781668062203

***
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:

0:00 Intro
2:40 Why does the guest call the Mariupol drama theater bombing the "defining atrocity" of the Russian war against Ukraine?
5:48 What made Mariupol particularly vulnerable to the Russian siege and bombardment?
8:51 What were the devastating living conditions for civilians in Mariupol during the siege?
9:48 Why did people consider the Mariupol drama theater a safe shelter, and how was it designated as such?
13:05 How did the theater's staff and volunteers manage to transform it into a functioning refugee shelter for thousands?
15:50 When did the bombardment of the theater occur, and why is it significant that "Children" was clearly written outside?
21:28 What were the immediate consequences of the direct bomb hits on the theater, and how did they cause such lethality?
24:49 How did the journalist connect with and interview dozens of survivors to document their experiences?
31:32 How is Russia attempting to erase the memory and culture of Ukraine in occupied Mariupol?
35:10 What is the historical context of neglecting and building over the dead in Mariupol, and how does it relate to current events?
40:10 How has the Greek heritage of Mariupol been affected by the Russian invasion and occupation?
45:37 What was the significance of the defense of Azovstal in Mariupol's story, and how did it impact civilians?
47:29 What is the final message regarding the Mariupol drama theater bombing and its implications for the war?

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Photo credit (James Verini’s portrait): Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.