53. UKRAINE: Lessons for Europe’s future - GUEST: Dr Victoria Vdovychenko

In the 53rd episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri, Benni and Daniela talk to Dr Victoria Vdovychenko, a leading Ukrainian expert on defense and geopolitics, against the backdrop of the NATO Ankara Summit and escalating tensions in July 2026. Dr Vdovychenko highlights Ukraine’s strategic resilience (driven by AI-enabled military innovations, deep strikes into Russian territory, and a society united against relentless civilian attacks), but she also emphasises that Europe needs to accelerate defense collaboration with Ukraine, scale up investment in its defense industry, and rethink its slow procurement processes to match the urgency of modern warfare. It is time that Europe updated its mindset and moved away from the idea of “helping Ukraine” towards “working with Ukraine” as a partner in innovation, resilience, and economic growth. Can Europe adapt quickly enough to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com