Explaining Ukraine

In this podcast, host Volodymyr Yermolenko welcomes Yulia Fediv, the executive director of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation. The conversation is focused on recent trends in the Ukrainian culture, Ukrainian creative class, current cultural renaissance, and the new ecosystem of Ukrainian cultural institutions.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko welcomes Ukrainian philosopher Vakhtang Kebuladze to talk about the current Ukrainian approach to World War II memory. They discuss the differences between Ukrainian and Russian commemoration approaches, as well as dilemmas of Ukrainian de-communization.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko welcomes Kostiantyn Kvurt, a well-known Ukrainian media expert and the head of board of Internews Ukraine, one of the leading Ukrainian media NGOs. They discuss whether Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is a part of Kremlin’s broader strategy in the post-Soviet space, and what are the key elements of Russian tactics in information warfare.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko welcomes Ukrainian foreign policy expert Hanna Shelest in an online podcast. They discuss the first year of President Zelensky’s foreign policy: Kyiv's relations with the US, Russia, and the EU, as well as the attempts to find a solution to the war in eastern Ukraine.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko welcomes well-known Ukrainian financial expert Serhiy Fursa (columnist at nv.ua). They discuss the threat posed by oligarch Kolomoyskyi for Ukraine's cooperation with the IMF, and about 16,000 (!) amendments introduced by Kolomoyskyi’s people in Parliament to the banking law, as well as Ukraine's resilience in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine) welcomes to the studio Volodymyr Sheiko, the Ukrainian Institute's Director-General. They discuss the recent renaissance of the Ukrainian culture, the Ukrainian movie industry, visual arts, and music.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine) welcomes to the studio Nataliya Gumenyuk, Ukrainian journalist specialized in international security and conflict reporting who has been regularly visiting occupied Crimea since the annexation. They discuss Gumenyuk’s book “The Lost Island” covering the situation in the occupied Crimea and life of the people on the annexed peninsula. Why do Crimean Tatars stay in Crimea notwithstanding the persecution? What is the life of people who supported the annexation by Russia? What can Ukraine and the international community do to help Crimeans? Nataliya Gumenyuk explains in our podcast.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine) welcomes to the studio Christopher Miller, correspondent covering Eastern Europe for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, BuzzFeed News, etc. They discuss the outcomes of the Normandy Summit, as well as compromises and discrepancies between Russia and Ukraine.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine) welcomes to the studio Robert van der Noordaa, leading Dutch investigative journalist working on the MH17 case. They discuss among other issues the recent developments and prospects for the investigation, Russia’s role in the downing and conspiracy theories around it.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine) welcomes to the studio Dmitri Teperik, chief executive of International Center for Defense and Security in Tallinn and program director of Resilient Ukraine. They discuss why information and communication spheres are essential parts of national security and what the similarities and differences between Estonia and Ukraine concerning Russia’s information influences are. Dmytro Teperik explains what the ways to make Ukraine more resilient to external information threats are and why there is no need to overreact on Russia’s activities.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine) welcomes to the studio Jakub Kalenský, the senior fellow of the Atlantic Council. They discuss what the main targets and tools of the Russian disinformation are and share some ideas on how it employs democratic values. This podcast was created with financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine)welcomes to the studio Gulliver Cragg, the correspondent for France 24 in Kyiv. They discuss the most important changes in Ukraine's society, culture and political life since Euromaidan took place in 2013-2014 and also note what Ukrainians failed to change in a positive way.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine)welcomes to the studio Sergiy Fursa, Debt Securities Sales Specialist at Dragon Capital. They discuss perspectives of Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, look into the case of Kolomoyskyi and PrivatBank and touch upon the issue why default is not the way Ukraine should opt for.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine)welcomes to the studio Peter Dickinson, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council and publisher of Business Ukraine and Lviv Today magazines. They discuss the state of the business environment in Ukraine and recent economic developments, and also could not miss the elephant in the room — the second round of Ukraine's presidential elections which will take place on 21 April.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine)welcomes to the studio professor Olexiy Haran, professor at the National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" and research director at Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation. They focus one topic only — the upcoming elections.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (UkraineWorld, InternewsUkraine) welcomes to the studio Denys Hurak, senior fellow at The Potomac Foundation. They discuss the significance of arms trade as one of the geopolitical methods of Russian influence.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (UkraineWorld, InternewsUkraine) welcomes to the studio Andreas Umland (senior expert at Institute of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy). They discuss differences in political cultures between Ukraine and Russia, Eurasian theory in Russia, as well as the future of Nord Stream 2.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (UkraineWorld, InternewsUkraine) welcomes to the studio Danylo Lubkivsky (former advisor to prime minister, former deputy foreign minister and current independent expert on foreign issues). The two discuss security challenges Ukraine is facing and will face in 2019, speak about the channels Putin and his regime may use to re-establish political control upon Ukraine and why parliamentary elections are more important than presidential ones.

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine)welcomes to the studio professor Kateryna Kruk, Ukrainian political scientist and communications expert, fellow at StopFake and the European Values Think Tank. They discuss Ukraine' experience of facing a Russian disinformation campaign, list main narratives of the Kremlin on the international arena, and share some ideas on how to strengthen resilience to propaganda

Host Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine World, Internews Ukraine)welcomes to the studio professor Olexiy Haran, professor at the National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" and research director at Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation. They outline key tendencies in Ukraine's politics, discuss the latest pre-election poll results, and look into the candidates who run for President.