Explaining Ukraine

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

  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: [email protected]. *** 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

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

  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 [email protected]. *** 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

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

  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: [email protected]. *** 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?

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• How Drones Are Dramatically Changing the War – with Nataliya Gumenyuk

  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: [email protected]. *** 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

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

  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: [email protected]. *** 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

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