Ukraine: Global: Recent Episodes
Суспільне Подкасти
Ukraine: Global is a socially- and politically-themed radio program oriented at the global English-speaking audience, featuring Ukraine in the global context. It highlights current military and sociopolitical realities and problems created by Russia's war for people in Ukraine and beyond and presents diverse viewpoints through comments by and discussions with experts, politicians, public activists, foreigners, military servicemen, and volunteers. The content is based on confirmed information.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the possibility of getting American F-16s fighter jets to Ukraine and why Mr. Biden changed his decision. So, the American decision to let the NATO allies provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets came as a sign of non-changed support of Ukraine from the USA.
At the same time, it demonstrates the importance of cooperation between NATO countries and that no decision may be taken without the USA. However, we must understand that our Western partners chose the road of step-by- step policy, which demands a lot of patience from the Ukrainian population, which we don't have in reality. Still, many people in Ukraine just got used to life under Sirens, believing it will be over one day.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Justin Trudeau are just the most vivid examples of such leaders. The question is should people and companies give the chance those who don’t have any experience but have a strong desire and fire to work in their eyes. The answer is – yes and no. No, because those people are also more likely to crash and burn.
Though the best leaders—Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln—were unfiltered, the things that made them so effective, such as their ability to think differently and not feel beholden to a certain way of doing things, often lead to terrible results. Unfiltered leaders are high risk, high reward. Filtered leaders—like Tim Cook and Neville Chamberlain—have deep knowledge and can be very effective in a stable situation. But they often can’t adapt to extreme, sudden change or are unable to disrupt the status quo, which an outsider feels freer to do. In Ukraine the situation is almost the same as in the whole world.
People want new faces, smart, ambitious people who were not a part of an old political system. At the same time, creating contradiction because such people don’t understand how the system works inside. So, the possible variant is to be in the system, study it from aside and then create your own strategy of political growth.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the current state of events in the issue of the grain deal and how it is connected to the recent success of the Ukrainian military in the Black sea.
The current situation with the grain deal remains unstable and unsure. Ukraine is interested in exporting it's corn and wheat to the countries that need it the most. At the same time, it is really hard to do it during the war and Russian blockade of the Black Sea shipping routes. So, it is quite obvious that any negotiation process takes time. Although, with a partner like Russia, it is almost impossible to be sure of a positive result. Everything can go wrong. If you do not trust your partner, just don't negotiate with him, especially if he is a terrorist. Or make your conditions very obvious to him. The future will show the result of the grain deal. For now it looks like it is impossible to guarantee the safety of ships.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the young generation of Ukrainian politicians and public figures who are changing the country now.
Dmytro Zolotykhin, former deputy Minister of information policy of Ukraine, says that it is still hard for people in our country to realize the necessity of change in the power elite. They tend to believe that politics is dirty and nothing will ever be changed.
So, there are many young and talented people in Ukraine, young leaders who are passionate about what they are doing. And there is also a problem with a huge amount of talented people who are leaving Ukraine now. According to some estimates and surveys, emerging from time to time, one of the factors, attracting young people to public service and politics is reasonable payment and clear opportunities, i.e. carreer of a politician who is ready to help develop his own village, town, city, region, and country.
An interview with Dr. Jacek Raubo, a security and defence specialist, analyst and, commentator at the Polish media outlet Defence 24. What are the challenges NATO is facing today and what kind of transformations does it need? What are the future relations of the Alliance with Ukraine?
As we see, russian propaganda tries to use any kind of information gaps, grey zones, and finds some things, some narratives, which are not openly discussed in the Western public debate.
In order not to allow further russian propaganda narratives to develop, we must openly talk about that, in particular, Poland and Baltic States would like to see Ukraine in the NATO community, because this is kind of strengthening the Eastern flank structure, and Ukraine is visible as a very strong and reliable partner in it.
On June 20, 2022, the Ukrainian Parliament ratified the «Council of Europe. Convention on Preventing and combating violence against Women and domestic violence» known as the «Istanbul Convention». On November 1, 2022, the Istanbul Convention came into force. Margarita Stavrova, a young lawyer from the United Kingdom, said that the situation is generally much better in Ukraine with gender equality. Still, there is so much to do in this field and the legal protection of women's rights, even in Arabic countries like the United Arab Emirates, is much stronger than in Ukraine.
After the nervous first day of the NATO summit, accompanied by harsh criticism of the Alliance by Volodymyr Zelensky and ending with a somehow ambiguous decision regarding Ukraine, all parties managed to «bring down the tension» and converge their positions.
On Wednesday in Vilnius, the so-called «security guarantees» were announced – this is a multilateral agreement, which should ideally «legitimize» military aid to Ukraine from partners, protect it from political risks, and also provide for a scheme of support for Kyiv after the war with the Russian Federation ends. There is also an option, how it is possible to avoid the appearance of a long list of criteria for reforms as a condition for inviting Ukraine to NATO after victory. For this, Kyiv should implement reforms now, without waiting for the end of the war,
Western diplomats emphasize. And the list of these reforms is well known to Kyiv. If you have doubts about it, you can look at the «security guarantees» text announced by the president. These are exactly the reforms that Kyiv undertook to implement – in exchange for weapons and security.
This edition is about the failed attempt of the Wagner group's military leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to go against the Putin regime.
The case of Prigozhin showed that there is at least someone who can counter the powerful image of Putin. Still, it was not enough to dismiss him. And even if he did it - the most probable scenario would be the beginning of a bloody civil war in Russia. Such a situation can stop the war in Ukraine, causing the russians to switch their attention to fixing their inner problems and forgetting about their invasive ambitions in Ukraine as a result.
Although, it is very interesting to study the enemy in order to understand his weaknesses. We can indeed analyze why and how the population in Russia mostly supported the rebellion in the cities Prigozhin entered, or how the population feels about the coming changes, and so on. This is one more thing we can now do in Ukraine as part of the heroic battle to regain our land and protect our state sovereignty.
In the previous edition, you listened about Russian war crimes in Ukraine. This edition of Ukraine Global is about Russian world war crimes.
«You will remember my words: Russia will disappear from the face of the Earth when the Ukrainian sun rises», - Dzhokhar Dudayev. He was a Chechen politician, statesman, and military leader of the 1990ʼs Chechen Independence movement from Russia. Everything Russia did was basically according to the already-created Soviet scenario.
The Soviet Union did the same when it tried to eliminate Crimean Tatars, starting with deportation in 1953. Russia deliberately attacked fleeing civilians in South Ossetia and the Gori district of Georgia. Russian warplanes bombed civilian population centres in Georgia proper and villages of ethnic Georgians in South Ossetia. Armed militias engaged in plundering, burning and kidnappings. Attacks by militias compelled Georgian civilians to run away.
We believe all responsible for Russian war crimes will be held accountable for their actions. Still, we don’t know if it will happen during the life of one generation or if we will need at least several of them to see all the aggressors punished.
Every war has its rules and customs. Only extremely cruel people can break the laws of war. The examples we present about Russian war crimes in Ukraine tell about the psychological and mental state of the perpetrators – be it the Russian political elite or simple soldiers. Even if the motives of the soldiers may be explained by having received an order, it is always a choice to maintain one’s humanity. In the majority of cases, they donʼt choose it. It is pretty simple to understand the motives of the Russian political elite who ordered horrible war crimes in Ukraine – they want to keep the power in their hands. They have two options – either prison or continuation of the war. So, they wonʼt stop. Still, it is very painful to realize that Putin triggered the already existing hatred, anger, and superiority towards Ukrainians, instilled in Russian minds and then just stimulated by propaganda.
Looks like almost Hitlerʼs scenario. Sadly this is an attitude we had ignored for years, and pretended that nothing was happening or that the matter lacked severity. We need to work on solutions to get out of this war we didnʼt launch, but the war we need to finish. We need to formulate concrete political and military steps towards ending this war with the Ukrainian political elite and ordinary sober-minded Ukrainians and the military fighting on the frontline. Then the war will end sooner than later.
On June 6, every Ukrainian woke up to the news that the Russians destroyed the Kakhovka HPP, that now serves as additional proof of Russian military brutality that ignores all laws of war. Of course, the decision was made in the upper echelons of Russian command. Perhaps, Mr. Putin himself made this decision. Nevertheless, it is extremely painful for us as a nation to process such atrocious news and understand that Russians diminish our land every day. It is indeed challenging to stay objective in this situation.
Still, we do realize that Russia kills Ukrainians daily on our own land. We believe that this time, the destruction of Kakhovka HPP was a deliberate strategic act of the Russian Federation aimed at stopping Ukraine's counteroffensive. Have they won here? – We shall soon see. We know that no one will stop the Ukrainian Armed Forces from driving the enemy out of our land. And all the perpetrators and criminals will be held accountable.
It has been more than a year since Vladmir Putin ordered Russian troops to begin their illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the impact has been devastating. Though much of the battle has taken place on the battlefield itself, there has also been a war of technologies, from cyber-attacks and disinformation, to the economic impact on the global tech scene. NATO’s Assistant Secretary-General David van Weel said that the main problem is that many innovators don’t know what the military needs. So, there is a need to establish communication between the producer of the digital product and those who are using it. And, of course, a lot depends on the practical usage of the digital product. For this, one needs to try it at least several times. The war in Ukraine has been a testing-ground for new applications. Technology is changing the meaning of war and the war is changing technology by expediting innovation. And we now hope that the new technologies will help us to win the war quicker.
Ukraine is at war. Danish queen Gertrude, one of the main characters of the newly adapted play Hamlet, staged in the theater of Lesya Ukrainka, repeated once and once again. «It is not the time for quarreling and fighting with each other because we need to drive the enemy out of our land.» Anabell Ramires, actress and director in ProEnglish theater, together with international partners staged a Ukrainian adaptation of Hamlet and shed some light on the topic of social network conflicts. RUI’s Viktoriya Kriukova talked with Anabell.
Every politician suits a particular time and epoch. And their actions and image are necessary and helpful for the country he leads at that time. In 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy helped shape the image of America. Winston Churchill was the face of Britain in the times of the Second World War. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba have been working on keeping up a good image of Ukraine abroad. These are just some examples, because we also need to talk about simple people who help build the country, not just public figures.
Considering all this, we can agree that the image of the country’s leaders plays an important role in framing the image of the country they head. Over the last year, Ukraine transformed into a potentially successful and influential. European state from a corrupt country with a weak political class. In some way, the war helped unite the population around one enemy. We are just at the beginning of the Ukrainian success story. And we hope that inner conflicts inside the country will not stop us from promoting a good image of Ukraine abroad.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about Ukraine's most loyal ally – Poland and the importance of the NATO Summit in Vilnius for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an international voyage to Europe. One of the countries he visited was Poland.
RUI's Viktoria Kriukova talked with Anton Shekhovtsov, a Ukrainian political scientist, academic, and writer. He believes that a lot depends on the July NATO summit in Vilnius. That is where diplomacy can help to get more weapons for our soldiers. How awful it may sound, but war times became a period when you would know who your real enemy and friend were. We know who our enemy is, and now Ukrainians know that Poland is definitely Ukraine's biggest friend and ally. Despite many historical disagreements – we found a common language and united before the enemy's eyes. Now everyone is waiting for Ukraine's counteroffensive, and we keep our fingers crossed for Ukrainian soldiers to show good results on the battlefield and Ukrainian diplomats behind closed doors of the summit in Vilnius.
Everyone is waiting for a miracle to happen. Recently the Ukrainian Armed Forces showed promising results on the battlefield giving hope to every Ukrainian that soon our land will be liberated 100%. Julia Bidenko, an analyst of the Centre for East European and International Studies, says that Ukrainian soldiers protect their motherland and family, not officials in the capital. Most of Ukrainian society supports the continuation of the counteroffensive and is ready for a long war. Ukrainians and foreigners supporting Ukraine are waiting for a massive counteroffensive from our military to happen.
Over more than a year of this bloody war with Russia Ukrainian military showed the ability to protect our native land and kicked the asses of Russians a lot of times. They liberated the city of Kherson, launched a counteroffensive in the Bakhmut, Donetsk region, and, in general, did a lot the world didn't expect from Ukrainian soldiers. Still, the enemy prevails in number and military ammunition. So, the only possible solution is the realisation that we need to take it slow- step by step, driving the enemy out of our land. Although, it doesn't stop us from believing that it will happen sooner than later.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about inner sabotage in Russia and how it can help the Ukrainian military to drive the enemy out of our land. Russian officials reported explosions on May 1 on the power lines in Russian's Leningrad region and a railway in the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine.
Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist and author, believes that sabotage among the Russian population can start at any moment if they know the real facts about killed soldiers. He says the number of killed commanders, generals, and lieutenant colonels in Russia is incomparable with any conflict of decades. It is interesting to count, even statistically, the number of victims on their part. They believe it takes 1,000 Russian soldiers to kill one general. So the number of killed officers has grown, and they recognize it. All local newspapers write about their death. Central television does not speak, but they write. It is still unclear who exactly made explosions on May 1 on the power lines in Russian's Leningrad region and a railway in the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine. But inner disappointment among the Russian population started to arise. Indeed, the majority of Russians still support their dictator. Still, the underground forces in Russia who are against the regime exist in the country and are becoming more visible.
Plus, the incompetency of the Russian military made possible the bombing of Belgorod beneficial for the Ukrainian Army, which has shown good results lately on the battlefield.
Ukrainian media have recently published a massive report by Elizabeth Owen about confiscated Russian assets in Ukraine. The report is based on findings by Ukrainian journalists Maksym Savchuk, Nadia Burdyey, and Heorhiy Shabayev in a probe by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. Arie Mora from the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group believes that the confiscation of Russian assets in Ukraine is still an open question. The state tries to understand how to do it correctly. So, the process of confiscating Russian assets in Ukraine has only just started. It is a question of morality and dignity. Such steps will definitely help the Ukrainian economy and strengthen the budget of defense forces. Still, it is quite tricky in juridical moments as Ukraine wants to stick to international law. At the same time, Ukrainian bureaucratic bodies make the confiscating process slower than Ukrainians want. We just need to be patient enough to see all those who are responsible for war crimes in Ukraine in jail and their money confiscated.
On February 24th, 2022, all Ukrainians were woken up by the news of Russia’s brutal attack on their land. Artists and performers did not stay aloof: they donated to the Ukrainian army, bought equipment, clothing and other essentials for soldiers, or raised funds in this country and abroad, encouraging nations to support Ukraine. Alex Borovenskiy, director of ProEnglish Theater, told RU’s Viktoriya Kriukova about his personal experience of writing songs and stage performances. “This war is a painful reality, and we need to realize the new circumstances we all live in. Culture can't stay aloof,” says Alex. Ukrainian and world artists have shown that we have more in common than just military and financial cooperation, which is crucial for driving the enemy out. We have the same values and we believe that such horrors can't happen in the 21st century, and we must stop it.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the condition of Ukrainian cultural monuments on the de-occupied territories. How seriously were they damaged by the Russian invaders, and how are international organizations helping to restore them?
Due to Russian aggression, a multitude of cultural heritage sites in most regions of Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed. As a result of shelling, buildings have such damage that Ukrainians have not seen since World War II. Ukraine has recorded at least 407 verified cases of Russian war crimes against our heritage, but the actual number is certainly higher. After all, it is difficult to get information from temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. The Culture Ministry continues to work on recording the destruction of cultural heritage sites in order to have evidence for international proceedings. Culture has always played an important role in times of war. And international support for Ukraine grew after the full-scale invasion. Sometimes, it’s not only about the money. People wanted to help Ukraine. Alex Borovenskiy, ProEnglish Theatre director, visited Ukrainian territories close to the war zone and saw with his eyes how Ukrainian cultural monuments were damaged there. RU’s Viktoria Kriukova talked with Alex.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about prospects for the development of the feminist domestic and foreign policy development in Ukraine. Are we progressing according to the world standards?
Ukraine needs more women in power organs. Only in 2017, for the first time in the history of Ukraine, the government identified gender equality as one of its priorities, entrusting the implementation of state policy in this area to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. And in February 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appointed an experienced human rights defender, Kateryna Levchenko, as Government Commissioner for Gender Policy. Being a prisoner of war leaves a lifetime mark. First of all, psychologically. The example of Tayra shows that the captivity didn't break her but made her even stronger. She is an extraordinary person who continues to help people and Ukraine as a state after being released from captivity. Ukrainian researchers Hanna Shelest and Yevheniya Gaber who work at The Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” have recently presented a special report on this Ukraine-related topic.
The understanding of the concept of a feminist foreign policy remains quite limited in Ukraine today. It is mostly narrowed down to gender equality in the diplomatic service. Meanwhile, an increasing number of European countries approve their own versions of feminist foreign policy.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about the psychological condition of Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the frontline and how they cope with emerging problems.
The front line between the Ukrainian defense forces and the Russian army stretches for more than a thousand kilometers. In some areas, fierce fighting has been going on for more months. Military personnel risk their lives and live in very unfavorable conditions, sleeping in cold rooms or dugouts, and sometimes having no time or means to eat or wash properly. Constant stress can affect not only a person's physical health but also his psychological health. We asked military psychologist Olena Nagorna how to cope with stress under such conditions where there is no opportunity to turn to a specialist. Dima Arkhipov, who was an actor before the war, is now on the 3rd line of defense. He cannot say where exactly, but he agreed to tell RUI how he became soldier. He says that in the army one always feels something and it is mostly tiredness. Still, he doesn’t want to quit his military service.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about different PSYOPs which Russians have used abroad against us, and what we can do to put Ukraine across in the world. RU’s Viktoriya Kriukova talked with Dmytro Zolotykhin, executive director of the Institute for Post-Information Society, who believes that Russia targets the USA using PSYOP because obviously it is the main strategic partner of Ukraine. Ukrainians want to show the real picture but don’t want to look like a victim, so how can we find the balance?
Dmytro Zolotykhin believes that we should send a signal that Ukraine’s victory is a victory for the whole civilized world. We just need to know how to deliver this simple idea.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the latest military and financial aid from the USA to Ukraine, how Americans living in Ukraine evaluate the changes inside the country, whether they see positive trends in its development, and why it is profitable for the West to support Ukraine.
Viktoria Kriukova talked with Peter from the USA, who just came to Ukraine. He says that for the last year, Ukrainians did something the whole world didn't expect to see-stood up and protected our land. And the world should take it seriously. Mike Wilson, a US marine and businessman living in Ukraine for four years, says that this country is his home and that he supports us – as does the entire democratic world. Change is coming. Step by step, slowly but steadily, Ukraine is moving towards it's European dream. And Western military and financial help is a key factor on this path. We hope that radio programs like this make some contribution to achieving this big goal. And the task for Ukraine is to know how to make the most of its potential and show it to the world.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the achievements in and prospects for Ukrainian grain export talks and, more broadly, the impact of the war in Ukraine on global trade. On October 29th, Russia announced it had quit the “grain deal” brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July to allow Ukraine to export its grain via the Black
Sea. Moscow presented its move as a response to an alleged attack by Ukraine on the Russian fleet around Sevastopol city. Despite Russia’s warnings, a group of ships loaded with grain nonetheless exited through the safe corridor, exporting grain that had been loaded in Ukrainian ports. Shortly thereafter, Russia made a U-turn and announced it would return to the agreement after negotiations with Turkey. Moscow cited “written guarantees” from Ukraine that Kyiv would not use this
corridor for military purposes or attacks against Russia.
Viktoria Kriukova talked with Volodymyr Dubovyk, an international expert who is sure that Russians, who are doing everything to show their alleged interest in the negotiations, would continue their strategy. Still, they can't cancel the deal.
This edition is about Ukrainians who changed the country and how it changed over the last year since the begging of the full-scale invasion. On February 24, Ukraine marked a bitter anniversary of the begging of the full-scale war with Russia. In fact, the war was launched by Russians in 2014, but in 2022, it got another dimension. One year it changed a lot for every Ukrainian. It showed the unity of our nation. And that is thanks to people. People create the country. Especially now, in the war times.
So, what changed for them over the last year? Soldiers defend our country on the frontline, artists perform about the war, volunteers help with humanitarian aid, and a simple girl who knows English uses it as a weapon to tell the truth. Everyone does what they can to make the victory closer. The stories and the words of Kira, Yevhen, Andrew, and everyone helping the country show how beautiful Ukraine is and how much we believe in our state. We have different people in Ukraine. Still, with more such heroes, who our program is trying to show, we all are closer to a better future every day.
When it finally be ruined? Ivan Us told RU about the main results of sanctions for Russia. He stressed that in January 2023 Russian budget faced a deficit of 1.8 trillion Russian rubles. And at the end of the year, it is expected to be 2.9. It means that Russia should sell all its resources to keep its economy.
Ukrainian experts say that even though the sanctions on Russia started immediately after the war, the effect of these sanctions became visible only now and continues to grow. We just need to observe the agony of the ruined empire.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about Ukrainian progress towards its EU membership and the latest EU recommendations to Ukraine after the EU-Ukraine summit on February 3 in Kyiv.
Wojciech Przybylski, the editor-in-chief of Visegrad Insight, is sure that Ukraine has a huge progress in its European integration path. On the eve of the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv, Ursula von der Leyen met with Volodymyr Zelensky and personally handed in a document with a long and complicated title, analytical report supplementing the conclusions of the European Commission regarding Ukraine's application to join the European Union. This document audits Ukrain's approach to EU law and outlines a plan for future accession negotiations. Slowly, Ukraine is moving towards its European dream. To most Ukrainians, Europe is a symbol of democracy and economic stability. Of course, it is no paradise, but it has a much higher level of living. To achieve that, they need to change the country inside. Step by step, the progress continues. We need to consider mistakes, see all colors, not only light ones, and realize the problems.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the PSYOP that Russia creates to spoil the image of Ukraine inside and outside. And what can we do to fight it Psychological operations (PSYOP) are intentionally orchestrated events to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. In the 21st century, Ukraine faced Russian's hybrid aggression. This new type of war presupposes the direct use of military force and a significant role of psychological operations (PsyOp).
Russian's hybrid war against Ukraine has been going on since the 1990s, aggravating from time to time during the Crimean separatism in early 90ies, the so-called gas wars, speculations on the division of the Black Sea Fleet, the attempt to seize the island of Tuzla, the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. The illegal annexation of Crimea and the events in Donbas in 2014 became a logical continuation. These were not isolated sabotages but a planned information war, conducted according to the aforementioned Gerasimov’s Doctrine. Denys Samygyn, an expert at the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, told RU about the newly created Russian special organization for teenagers on the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
Ilya Kusa, an expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the future, believes that the creation of a special Tribunal for investigating Russian war crimes theoretically is possible. Still, for now, it is impossible to create it under the jurisdiction of the UN. The most important for Ukraine now is to ratify the Rome charter. Arie Mora from the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group says that creating a special international Tribunal for Russian war crimes depends on a necessary base of authority and legitimacy. The only possible way to create this court is through a United Nations majority, which is unlikely.
International Tribunal, which will bring Justice to all the political leaders of the Russian war against Ukraine, is a special dream of every Ukrainian. Everything depends on how the structure of the court would look like, what the proposal would be and how many countries will support it. Then such Tribunal can be created. For now, Ukraine can collect the proof of Russian war crimes, ratify the Rome statute and work with international partners to create a coalition for such a Tribunal. Ukrainians believe that Justice will happen one day.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about the psychological state of many war-affected Ukrainians and methods to cope with the trauma. February 24th, 2022 changed everything for Ukrainians and not only physically but psychologically too. People had to get used to living under constant pressure, reading news about deaths and destructions and fearing it could happen to them too. Many had had personal psychological issues before the war, and after Russia’s full-scale invasion, it became even harder to cope with them.
Panic attacks, reactions to sounds, anger, and avoiding reality with the help of medicine and alcohol are only a few examples, and they are of ordinary people living far from the front lines, let alone in the occupied territory. For those who fled the warzone, it is even worse. Ivan Brednev, a psychiatrist, told RU that it’s absolutely normal to feel bad or mad during the war. The main advice is to notice that there is much more than war in this life. But if you still need help, you can turn to a specialist.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about education in Ukraine in wartime and how students and teachers adapt to the new conditions in which they have to study. The entire system of education in Ukraine changed after Russia unleashed the full-scale war on February 24.
Seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with all the restrictions it caused, Ukrainian schools, colleges, and universities were hit by the devastating blow of the Russian invasion. Students and teachers alike, both those who stayed in the country and those who fled abroad, had to somehow adapt to the new conditions. Polina, Kira, Kristina, Misha, and Demyan have different stories, but they all have one desire – to live in a peaceful country.
It's really hard to live, let alone study, in the conditions of war. Still, Ukrainian schools and universities have found ways to continue education. Of course, not without problems, but they still do it. For students, it's hard, first of all, psychologically, to study when the air raid alert sounds. They realize they are in danger. It’s hard for teachers to give online lessons when power supply and internet access are unstable and even unpredictable. And it’s difficult for principals to find the right way to balance online and offline education. Ukrainian students and teachers don't know how much longer this war will last, but they know that life will go on and that they must carry on.
This edition of Ukraine Global: is about the state of Ukraine’s energy system after the latest Russian attacks on December 31st and how the Ukrainian air defenses prevented blackouts during the Christmas holidays.
Yuriy Korolchuk, an expert with the Kyiv-based Institute of Energy Strategies, told Ukrainian Radio that thanks to the excellent performance of the Air Defense Forces and preemptive technical measures, the Russian missile strike on December 31 did not cause serious damage to the Ukrainian energy system. According to Olena Pavlenko, President of DiXi Group and an energy expert, the Russian invaders failed to break the spirit of Ukrainians and the national energy system.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about Ukrainian volunteers and their recent activity, their plans to celebrate or not New Year’s Day, and what still motivates them to do their job. This New Year has a bitter taste for all Ukrainians. According to official surveys, one-third of Ukrainians will not celebrate the New Year and Christmas holidays this year. At the same time, 94 percent of those who will celebrate will do so at home. Andrew, Ignat, Anastasiya and Ruslan told their stories to RUI. They say their main motivation is to help people living in dangerous and awful conditions. So, they are just doing their job and want to have a peaceful New Year.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about practical help from the UN to Ukraine, considering the support of Ukrainian inner refugees. And about possible ways for the UN to make more decisive decisions on the Security Council considering Russia. Following the full invasion of Ukraine on February 24 th , 2022, many in the world responded to Russia’s aggression with unprecedented solidarity. Sanctions quickly emerged, calls to stand with Ukraine circulated widely in online spaces, and blue and yellow flags flew in parliaments and homes worldwide. However, competing global challenges and fatigue from the conflict has called into question democracies’ sustained support for Ukraine and the principles it represents. The organizations that helped Ukraine the most are the UN and Red Cross.
Marianna Fakxurdinova, a New Europe center analyst, made a special report about UN activity in Ukraine. She says about obvious hesitations and drawbacks inside the UN in making important decisions. Despite its obvious support of Ukraine, the UN organization is helpless in many aspects. For example, even after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia was not excluded from the UN. Olexander Krayev, an expert with the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, believes that many people received financial and humanitarian support from the UN funds and organizations. Still, in the context of the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine, the UN failed to achieve its main goal – to stop and prevent the conflict.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about the situation in Crimea after an explosion on the bridge over the Kerch Strait, the underground resistance movement of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars called Atesh, and the general mood of Crimean residents. Are they scared and still confident that Crimea is Russian forever, or are they looking forward to the Ukrainian army? The situation on the peninsula changed drastically after an explosion on the bridge over the Kerch Strait. People started to realize that soon Ukrainian Armed forces may come to the peninsula. Vladyslav Seleznyov, a military expert, told Ukrainian Radio that Crimean Tatars and pro-Ukrainian residents of Crimea eagerly wait for the liberation of the Ukrainian peninsula. Alim Aliev, Deputy General Director of the Ukrainian Institute, believes that the war started with the occupation of Crimea, so it must end with its de-occupation. So, the general public mood in the Crimean Peninsula is changing. More and more Crimeans, even those who support Russia, can see that something is going to happen. The Ukrainian army is moving forward, and the liberation of the Ukrainian peninsula is just a matter of time.
This edition of Ukraine: Global- is about Kherson City. What has changed there since it was liberated from Russian occupiers on November 11th? How do the people live there? What difficulties do they experience?
Lyudmyla Tyahnuryadno, a Ukrainian Radio host, visited Kherson City after its liberation and saw with her own eyes what its residents had gone through. She shares her story with RUI. She said that because of constant shelling, the people mostly go out in the first half of the day. They are afraid to come under shelling. Now the city has been liberated, but active hostilities continue. The occupiers shell the city, and their cluster bombs can cover half a block. Many people suffer from this. Shelling begins, the people are afraid to go outside, and shops are closed. Life goes on in the first half of the day. Liza, a native of Kherson, left the city in mid-May. She decided to flee right after it was occupied in early March, but it was extremely difficult to move out of the city. She still can’t believe she has gone through all the nightmares of leaving the city. When she saw Ukrainians, she couldn’t believe she was finally on Ukrainian territory.
There are a lot of talks what Europe can give to Ukraine. Currently, we are getting financial and military aid for our country. This is a question of life and death for Ukrainians. Still, we can share with our foreign allies the resources we have.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about what Ukraine can provide to Europe in the defense and economic spheres. Hanna Hopko, a Ukrainian politician, a former Member of Parliament and head of the committee on foreign affairs of Verkhovna Rada , is sure that Ukraine has a huge amount of resources to propose to Europe. Radio Ukraine’s Viktoria Kriukova talked with Hanna who is confident that Europe needs Ukrainian Armed Forces with practical battlefield experience. Leonid Litra, a Senior Research Fellow at the New Europe Center underlines that the Ukrainian Army is now the most prepared in Europe in practical experience. When Europeans invest in Ukraine – they are investing in their security.
This edition of Ukraine Global is about the changes on the frontline because of the coming winter. To what extent will winter complicate the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories, and is there a risk that thanks to the winter, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will get the desired break? The Russian-Ukrainian war is entering a difficult winter phase. It will be two to three times more difficult to conduct military operations in winter.
Experts predict a warm winter, which is impassable for field equipment. Long-range attack systems, in particular HIMARS, will come to the fore. Vladyslav Seleznyov, Colonel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, says that if there are shells for artillery and missiles for HIMARS - the weather doesn't make any difference. Meanwhile, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Defence Ministry, says that Western forecasts are only forecasts. The decisive stage of the war is now approaching. Most probably, there can be an increase in artillery fire in the winter, the elimination of the Russians from the front and the advance of our military.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about the midterm elections in the United States. How will the latest American midterm elections influence Ukraine and the military and financial aid to our country? Do the Republicans understand the necessity of military aid to Ukraine? How should we assess the results of the midterms from the Ukrainian perspective?
Fear against anger. That's what many analysts say about the latest elections in the U.S. starting from 2016 when Donald Trump decided to run for president. He immediately caught on many Americans angry sentiments and won the election in 2017. Later, fear overcame anger, and Joe Biden became the next and current American President. The latest Midterms showed that American society is split between the Republicans and Democrats. Still, according to the latest information, the Republicans are slightly over the Democrats in control over Congress. Volodymyr Dubovyk, Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations of Mechnikov Odesa National University and Artur Koldomasov, the CEO of Content and Co-Founder of the SVITLOVEZHA Media Project explain the results of the latest American midterm elections.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about the role of culture in the current war situation in Ukraine. How it reacts to painful events in the country, and how the artists are still creating good materials connected to the war situation? In times of war, culture has always played an important role. Cinema, theater, music and all the artists react to social events. After the full-scale Russian invasion, cultural life rapidly changed. Actors became researchers of human souls and made documentary materials.
Alina Zevakova, a film and cinema actress and Annabell Ramirez, actress and theater director told their stories to RUI. Dima Archipov, told about his transition from the actor into a soldier. Culture has always been and stays mediator between society and art. The Ukrainian government and many people inside the country need to realize the importance of culture in 21st-century Ukraine. Every project needs suitable financing. Donations are good but governmental support would be even better. The support of modern art, not only classical, is needed. Culture touches people's hearts and minds. The media gives facts. If you combine these two elements – you can win the propaganda war. It is essential to tell the world the real truth about what is happening now in Ukraine. And Ukrainian artists and ordinary Ukrainians will continue to do it- to make history. Ukraine is not a victim. Ukrainians showed that we are defenders and eventually, we will win because no one ever succeeded in conquering nations that didn't want to be conquered.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about the situation regarding electricity outages in numerous Ukrainian cities due to the latest Russian missile attacks. How do Ukrainians deal with the hardships of electricity shortages, and what are the possible solutions to help resolve the situation? On Oct. 31, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine's energy system during Monday rush hour for the third time in the past month. Russian aim – which its leadership publicly admits – is to hinder civilian access to electricity and heat, potentially inflicting a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine. Iryna, Olga and Hanna shared their stories with RUI. Hennadiy Ryabtsev, a member of the Expert Council at the State Energy Efficiency Agency is sure that it's easy for Ukrainians to help energy workers - you must listen to their advice. It means the rational use of electrical appliances. Especially in the morning and evening, during the peak hours of consumption.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, every new day has brought new victims of Russian terror. The biggest part was due to Russian direct missile attacks and bombardments. Still, after liberating the Kyiv region in early April and, most recently, the Kharkiv region, Ukraine has to deal with another problem – mines and unexploded ordnance in the liberated areas. To avoid further human victims of Russian landmines the Ukrainian Emergency Service, together with professional sappers, is trying to demine such areas now. Tetyana Kryvonis, a journalist of the Kharkiv regional bureau of Ukrainian Radio, said that residents of the region had been blown up because of the ammunition left by the Russians. Tymur Pistruga, head of the Ukrainian Deminers Association, stresses that demining operation needs long and careful preparations and the support of local authorities, which his association gets at every level.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about Elon Musk's statements about the so-called peace plan for Ukraine and his decision first to stop financing the Starlink service, which is crucial for communication and targeting purposes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Then Elon Musk changed his mind and announced he would continue funding satellite internet terminals.
What was behind his decision, and why will Ukraine not agree to any peace talks now? Ivan Us, Ph.D. in economics, chief consultant at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, believes that in terms of interpreting Musk’s words about giving up Crimea, we should understand that he is the richest person in the world. As a businessman, he thinks about money. Olexander Krayev, an expert with the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, believes that Elon Musk's tweets about Ukraine in many ways were connected to his political loyalty to Mr. Trump and the economic interest of his company shares. Krayev is also sure that Musk's peace plan for Ukraine is not what Ukraine needs now. The situation on the battlefield changes every day. “The Ukrainian forces are counterattacking, so we don't need negotiations that would give Russia a tactical pause to renew its military power.
Russia lashed out on Oct. 10, striking many Ukrainian cities with 84 missiles and 24 exploding drones. The places they hit were all civilian — multiple power plants but also a children's playground in the center of Kyiv. Most strikes seemed to be timed to the Monday morning rush hour as if trying to kill as many commuters as possible. From the battlefield perspective, the Russian armed forces just dropped hundreds of millions of dollars to achieve basically nothing. Why did Russia choose to do this? What did it try to accomplish? And how will it affect the Ukrainian energy sector? After the latest Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, the Ukrainian authorities decided to limit consumer energy supply. Yuriy Korolchuk, an expert at the Institute of Energy Strategies, believes it was the right decision to make. Yuriy Zipov lived with his wife and daughter in Vyshgorod, the ancient town on Kyiv’s northern outskirts, but after February 24th, they moved to Lviv. He believed it was safer in Western Ukraine, and there were no air raid alarms. But after the latest Russian attack, the situation changed.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about released Ukrainian prisoners of war, what they got through, and how Russia purposefully breaks international law by capturing them. The Ukrainian reality changed on February 24, splitting tens of millions of lives in two. We Ukrainians are a strong and brave nation. Ukrainian soldiers prove that on the battlefield, doctors in the hospitals and Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian captivity where their spirit is unbroken. In June, Yulia Payevska, call sign Taira, a Ukrainian doctor and volunteer, was released from Russian captivity. She shared her story with RUI. Viktoria Sheeran, a consultant at the Kyiv-based Tomalogy Center, told Radio Ukraine about psychological pressure and its effect on the human mind after imprisonment. Olga Skrypnyk, the head of the Crimean human rights group, is sure that Ukraine abides by all the norms of the convention and treats Russian prisoners of war properly while Russia disregards any of its own international commitments. According to her, the liberation of the occupied territories is the main, but not the only possible way to free our prisoners.
This edition of Ukraine: Global is about what the Russian dictator Putin announced on September 21 st as “a partial mobilization” in the captured parts of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions as well as the occupied Crimean peninsula and the Russian Federation. Did he cross the line, and is it his last-ditch try to change the course of his war, which is evidently going against his grain? How has Putin’s move affected the Ukrainian civilians in the occupied territories? And is this the beginning of the end of Russia?
Oleksandr, a journalist of Suspilne in the Luhansk region, told RUI about the actual situation with mobilization in his area. Eskender Bariyev, board chairman of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people told RUI that immediately after Putin announced the partial mobilization, the occupying authorities rushed to forcefully draft people to the Russian army. Alyona Lunova, advocacy director of the Kyiv-based Human Rights Center ZMINA, told RUi how the occupiers intentionally broke all international and Ukrainian laws and how the Ukrainians who stayed in the temporarily occupied territories could still escape the forced mobilization.
In almost seven months of Russia's war against Ukraine, there hasn't been a single day without the enemy shelling peaceful Ukrainian cities. Every day brings new victims of Russia's terror. The enemy uses various tactics, but the most frequent are shelling and bombardments. After the Ukrainian Armed Force's counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region, Russia started intensively using another technique. In their desire to retaliate, the Russians launched dozens of cruise missiles on river dams and critical infrastructure facilities in central and eastern Ukraine.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih city administration, told RUI what is going on in the city right now. Sviatoslav Yurash, a member of parliament, is sure that Russia's attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure will fail to break the Ukrainian spirit.
Does this success owe to the recent deployment of US weapons to Ukraine? Is diplomacy helping Ukraine to speed up the battlefield success? The post-Cold War world order was totally destroyed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022. Diplomacy has always played a key role in building international relations between countries, but this time, it didn't help to stop the war unleashed by Russia. The previous week was very reach in diplomatic visits to Ukraine, which demonstrated its Western allies’ united desire to help it win the war. The deployment of Western weapons has already switched the balance in Ukraine’s favor. So, what is behind the visits by the Western high-ranking officials to our country? Hennadiy Maksak, the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism Executive Director, explains how the last financial and military package from the US could help to speed up Ukraine's victory?
Is Putin bluffing and blackmailing the whole world by the nuclear hazard from the Russian occupation of the plant? How serious are the Russians threatening to play this joker card up their sleeve? Can we say that the IAEA mission did or will reduce the level of danger for Ukrainians and the whole world? Is the mission’s report fully objective since the Ukrainian media were not allowed to accompany the inspection? On September 6 th , following the inspection mission to the plant, Rafael Grossi made a report which described extensive damage at the plant, but did not assign blame. Oksana Ischuk Executive Director of the center for global studies Strategy XXI expressed her opinion in the program that Russia is using the IAEA mission for its imperialistic purposes and wants to create a demilitarized zone around the plant to legalize the occupied territories and undermine Ukraine's sovereign right.
How could people who found themselves under occupation escape? What did they experience? How hard is life for those Ukrainians who remained in the occupied region? And why do they believe that the region will eventually be liberated from the occupiers? The Kherson region became special for both sides in the process of war. Russia wants to turn the region into its province, and Ukraine wants to reclaim what indeed belongs to the country. The region is extremely rich in natural and human resources, which were not fully developed before the war. Now, it has become a martyr in a sense. People there are suffering from the Russian occupation. It is painful, but the region's liberation from Russians is only a matter of time. Slava, Nastya, and Daria believe in its liberation sooner or later. Kherson has always been and stays a part of Ukraine.
The war didn't split Ukrainians. On the contrary, it united the nation that created a powerful volunteering movement. Soldiers fight on the front line while volunteers help and motivate them. Volunteers also help those who find themselves in the warzone and can't leave because of shelling or for some other reasons. The program tells the stories of Yevhen Tkachov, Sara Kerdy, and Daniil Prymachov, who started helping people from the beginning of the Russian invasion. Yevhen heads the humanitarian center "Proliska Chasiv Yar" in the Donetsk region.
First, they lost it in 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine for the first time, and secondly, in 2022, after the full-scale invasion. Did it break them or make them stronger? Veronika is a girl who had to leave Donetsk because of the Russian mercenaries. Mykola is a man from Luhansk who moved to Severodonetsk but then again had to run from the "Russian world". Mykola founded the NGO Luhansk Association of Organizations of People with Disabilities and was a committed advocate for inclusivity. Now with the help of international organizations, he continues his job in Western Ukraine. Lyudmila Popova, a psychologist, explains some peculiarities and effects on human psychology after leaving their home and the necessity to start everything again.
Several experts expressed their opinions concerning the topic. The first expert is Oleg Zhdanov, a military expert. Another one is Ilya Kusa, an international expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. In particular, they commented on the successes of Ukraine's military personnel at the front, thanks to weapons. They spoke about the misinterpretation of the news about the smuggling of weapons by Ukraine because no one accused us but only warned about the possibility. The third expert is an American marine, Mike Wilson, who arrived in Ukraine in 2015 to train the Ukrainian military. In particular, he talks about the work done by Ukrainian troops to protect Ukraine from the invaders since the start of a full-scale invasion. He emphasizes that he is proud of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.