Valerii Pekar: Ukraine's stunning resilience

Two years ago, Ukraine stunned the world with its response to Russia's full-scale invasion. Where did its resilience come from? Leading Ukrainian civic activist Valerii Pekar has an answer. It's a story of a nation—and a man—undergoing two major transformations after the fall of the Soviet Union. First, a shift into freedom, then an awakening of dignity and civic activism. Why this matters to you and me: If Russia were to defeat Ukraine, its next likely targets are NATO countries the United States is bound by treaty to defend. Here's the back story—cultural, political, economic, and personal—behind Ukraine's extraordinary response to Russian aggression. **Key takeaways** 7:00 The many facets of freedom after the fall of the Soviet Union 10:35 Ukrainians vote for independence 12:30 Valerii shifts from traditional to modern worldview 15:00 Moscow tries to steal an election. Ukrainians take to the streets 19:00 Valerii's speech on the Maidan about Ukraine's three revolutions 20:00 The progressive postmodern worldview emerges 23:00 Ukrainians explore a big question: what mistakes did we make ten years ago 25:30 Valerii is elected to the National Reform Council 29:30 A meeting with the President, who issues an invitation 31:00 Russia invades, and Ukraine's new horizontal networks activate 34:30 My reflections **Resources** Valerii's essays in the journal New Eastern Europe **Share the love** Leave me a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. **Subscribe to the podcast** To hear the origin stories of more big ideas, subscribe to How My View Grew on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.