Talking Ukraine Podcast

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, George Woloshyn — former FEMA Associate Director and longtime Republican insider — reflects on a life that bridges American politics and humanitarian work in Ukraine. From his early involvement in the Republican Party to years spent supporting Ukraine through faith-driven initiatives, his perspective offers a unique lens on today’s moment, and what the future of Ukraine could look like — politically, economically, and spiritually — once the war ends.  

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, American Iraq War veteran Carl Larson joins me to discuss his experience serving in Ukraine’s International Legion during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. We talk about his time on the ground, what motivated him to join the fight, and why he believes Ukraine’s struggle matters for American and global security. Carl also shares insights into his current work supporting Ukraine through his initiatives, Defense Tech Ukraine and European Action for Ukraine, and offers perspective on emerging technologies and developments shaping the war today. https://defensetechforukraine.org/

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, Canadian journalist Stefko Bandera discusses his ongoing project translating the private correspondence of his grandfather, Stepan Bandera, a central and highly debated figure in Ukraine’s 20th-century nationalist movement. Stefko discusses what it was like growing up as a descendant of a Ukrainian liberation leader with a controversial legacy, exploring efforts to better understand Bandera through primary documents, and how history is shaped by war, propaganda, and competing narratives.

In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, filmmaker Christina Paschyn joins me to discuss her powerful new documentary, Etched in Memory. The film highlights the stories of several Crimean Tatars as they struggle to live freely on their ancestral homeland — a land marked by deportation, repression, and renewed occupation. We explore the film’s production process, the challenges of documenting this story, and the broader significance of the Crimean Tatar fight for identity, rights, and justice under Russian occupation. 

Ten years ago, filmmaker Damian Kolodiy and Ukrainian volunteer activist Ivan Rodichenko traveled into the Donbas to screen Freedom or Death, Kolodiy’s documentary on the Revolution of Dignity. Their journey took them to frontline cities — Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivska, and Mariupol — places that were already feeling the first tremors of a war that would reshape Ukraine. In this episode, they look back on that 2015 trip: the audiences they met, the mood in the east, and the sense of uncertainty that hung in the air. A decade later — with some of those same cities scarred or destroyed — they reflect on what that moment meant, and how the spirit of the Revolution continues to echo on the front lines today. Ten years ago those screenings felt like small acts of solidarity in uncertain times. Today, their meaning feels even clearer. The spirit of the Revolution of Dignity — the belief in freedom, agency, and national self-determination — didn’t fade. It endured.  "Freedom or Death in Donbas: a Journey to Ukraine's Eastern Front" a behind the scenes documentary can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/X-7PMCC_UDQ?si=mWWLj3P5kdl9EGFe  

In this episode, I speak with Olexander, a resident of Kyiv living through another winter of intermittent heating and electricity caused by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. He describes daily life under these conditions and shares the mood on the streets — how ordinary Ukrainians are coping, adapting, and thinking about the war.

In this episode, social scientist and public intellectual Myhailo Wynnyckyj—Associate Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy—joins me to discuss the newly released Ukraine Manifesto, a sustainable peace plan for Ukraine he recently co-authored detailing what a minimum and maximum victory could look like. We also revisit the early days of the full-scale invasion reflected in his widely read Thoughts from Kyiv blog during the invasion’s first days—and what Ukrainian resilience means today.   Full Manifesto here:  

In this episode, Ukraine analyst Adrian Karatnycky breaks down the implications of the so-called “peace plan,” and why robust support for Ukraine is in America's interest. We also explore the Ukrainian government’s response to the recent corruption scandal — and what it reveals about Ukraine’s internal dynamics at a critical moment.

In this episode, Canadian journalist Neil Hauer reflects on his eigth reporting trip to Ukraine and shares vivid insights from covering the war since its onset in February 2022 — including his firsthand experience of the invasion’s first days.

In this episode, we talk with Benjamin Goldhagen — the mind behind “To the Zero Line” and “The Steel Porcupine” — about what it takes to film on the edge of a war zone, finding humanity amid destruction, and why Ukraine’s story needs to be told now. Goldhagen shares his experiences filming on the frontlines of Ukraine — capturing resilience, trauma, and the human stories behind the headlines. www.thesteelporcupine.com 🎥 Keywords: Ukraine documentary, Benjamin Goldhagen interview, Ukrainian war, frontline filmmaking, Ukrainian culture, documentary podcast.

Jonas is a former Swedish Marine who when Russia invaded Ukraine, decided that he must act to support Ukraine. For almost 4 years he drives once a month to the front lines in Ukraine donating various supplies purchased by Swedish donors. Join us for his insights into the war from both an "on the ground" and Swedish perspective.

Hanna Shelest is the Director of Security Programmes at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”, one of the top Ukrainian think-tanks. A native of Odessa, we discuss how her city and people have managed during the war, Hanna's expert perspective of the global stage vis a vis Ukraine, Russia's psychological mind games, and the various technology and techniques used by Ukraine to counter Russia's invasion. 

Olena Trehub is the founder and Secretary General of NAKO - the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, established in Ukraine in cooperation with Transparency International in 2017. NAKO focuses on promoting good governance in the defense sector, anti-corruption reform in areas critical for national security, and due diligence in the defense industry.  Olena is currently serving her second term on the Anti-Corruption Council of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. She also works with the International Center for Ukrainian Victory, advocating for strong international support for Ukraine. Previously, Olena served as Director at Ukraine's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, managing over $12 billion in international development projects. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts) and Central European University. She has received multiple awards for her reform work and was named one of Ukraine's 100 most influential women by New Time Magazine.

Since the time of Covid, Vladyslav created his YouTube channel "The Metal Pilgrim" commenting on the latest happenings in the world of heavy metal music. The slick production, sharp editing combined with his insightful commentary and passion for the music grew his audience quickly. When the full scale invasion of Ukraine started in 2022, Vladyslav, who is based in Kyiv, began to fundraise to buy supplies and then move them to the front lines. He kept his audience informed on what was happening on the ground in Ukraine, and later worked with both metal musicians and fans to fundraise for his non profit, -Сталеві Крила / Steel Wings Foundation -

For Episode 20 we invite previous guests and Ukraine experts, Professor Oles Motyl and Dr. Taras Kuzio to discuss their latest thoughts on developments of Russia's war on Ukraine and the dichotomy of the Trump administration. 

Brian Bonner was Chief Editor of the Kyiv Post from 2008-2021. Join us as we catch up with Brian as to what he is doing now, his reflections on journalism both in Ukraine and the US, and a general conversation about the state of recent events on the political arena.

John Shmorhun is a Ukrainian-American with over 30 years experience working in Ukraine. Shortly after Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, he and his wife, Patricia, founded "Move Ukraine", an organization dedicated to supporting internally displaced Ukrainians within Ukraine by providing both housing and rehabilitation services. Join us for in depth conversation on this initiative and John's reflections on the current situation. 

Stefan Korshak is the Kyiv Post Senior Defense Correspondent. He is from Houston, Texas and is a Yalie. He has worked in journalism in the former Soviet space for more than twenty years and currently lives in Kyiv. HIs comprehensive military blogs offer unique and detailed analyses of the movements on the front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We discuss his take on the current state of affairs, both on the front lines and on the geopolitical stage.

SIMON OSTROVSKY is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and PBS NewsHour Special Correspondent. Simon was senior correspondent and a founding member of the original VICE News team, winning a Dupont for his documentary "Selfie Soldiers" and two 2016 Emmy nominations for "Russian Roulette", his series on the war in Ukraine. In this episode we discuss his new documentary about Russian occupation and oppression of Christian Evangelical churches in Ukraine, his previous work in Ukraine with Vice News, and his general take and thoughts on current events around Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Robert Van Voren is Chief Executive of the international foundation ‘Human Rights in Mental Health-FGIP’, an international foundation for mental health reform. He is also Executive Director of the Andrei Sakharov Research Center for Democratic Development and Professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania. Since 2000 he lives in Lithuania, and shuttles regularly to Ukraine, his main country of operation. Since the full-scale invasion he travels there on a monthly basis developing and implementing projects to support the country to deal with the psychological consequences of the war for both military and civilians.

Christian Borys is the founder of Saint Javelin, a Toronto based company that makes various clothing and swag to fundraise for charities that support Ukraine. He has years of experience working as a journalist and Saint Javelin social media is a trusted information source on breaking news from Ukraine.

Maksym Eristavi is a Ukrainian journalist, writer, and author of the award-winning book “Russian Colonialism 101,” an illustrated guide to Russian colonial crimes. He was also a co-founder of Hromadske International, an independent news start-up based in Kyiv Ukraine. His current mission is to create global awareness about the Russian colonial legacy.  We discuss the west's journalistic coverage of Ukraine over the years, Maksym's personal motivations for creating the Russian Colonialism 101 guidebook, and the importance of global recognition of Russia's imperial ambitions.     

Andriy Semotiuk is a Canadian and American immigration Lawyer, writer & Ukrainian leader. In this episode we discuss the legal aspects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the general standing of global current affairs, lessons from 20th Century history that are applicable today, the state of affairs in Canada, the Hollywood Trident Group and more! Join us for a wide reaching conversation!

Sasha Maslov is a photographer based in New York City. Originally from Kharkiv, Ukraine, he has extensively documented the front lines since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This year he partnered with St. Javelin to publish a photography book called “Saints” which portrays stories of Ukrainians who have devoted their lives to defend their country on the front lines .

Paul Hennemeyer is an American energy executive based in Europe with over 30 years experience in the energy industry. He and his partner Ralph Meima created “Re-energize Ukraine”, a volunteer initiative to help supply spare and retired electricity equipment to Ukraine. We discuss Paul’s work and recent trip to Ukraine, the closing of the last gas pipeline in Ukraine that transports Russian gas to Europe, Germany’s long term reliance on Russian energy and German energy politics, and the future of the Ukrainian energy industry. Email: [email protected]  

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Kuzio we discuss potential scenarios and security guarantees for Ukraine under the Trump administration, the evolution of Volodymyr Zelensky as President, and reflections on Dr. Kuzio's last visit to Ukraine in 2023.  

Dr. Taras Kuzio is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy. He is also an Associate Fellow at the Forum for Foreign Relations and has worked with various think tanks. Taras has written over 24 books, most recently,  “Fascism and Genocide, Russia’s War Against Ukrainians.” In Part 1 we talk about the global dynamics surrounding the fall of Assad’s regime, the reluctance of Israel to cooperate with Ukraine, the roots of Russian sadism, and how the West missed its opportunity to defeat Russia’s army in Ukraine. 

In Episode #7 it is our pleasure to speak with one of the original American Expat pioneers in newly independent Ukraine, Jed Sunden. Jed started the Kyiv Post in 1995, the first English language newspaper in Ukraine, which continues on today. In early 2024, Jed founded the American Ukraine PAC to lobby for political support for Ukraine to the US Congress. We discuss his experiences maintaining an independent journalistic enterprise during his 15 year tenure as owner of KP Media Group, as well as the work that the American Ukraine PAC is doing today in support of “The War for Ukrainian Sovereignty".

We continue our conversation with Dr. Lada Roslycky discussing corruption within Ukraine and troubles of Ukrainian soldiers, the lack of will and duplicity from the West, and the importance of true accountablity, and the value of freedom and liberty. 

Hailing from Canada, Dr. Lada Roslycky is a Ukraine expert with esteemed academic credentials who has been living in Kyiv, Ukraine for over a decade. This gives her unique insight and perspective into analyzing Ukrainian society and the events surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In Part 1 we discuss her  her work as a Black Sea security expert, Russia's genocide, objectives and information warfare, Russian corruption as statecraft, and the overall stakes of the war. 

In episode 4 we’ll get to chat with a founder of Dignitas Fund, Liuba Shipovich. Diginitas is non-profit based in Ukraine that supplies drones to Ukrainian soldiers and develops other cutting edge military technology and training.

Petro Rondiak is a Ukrainian-American who has lived in Kyiv with his family since the 1990s. Petro has been one of the key people managing Winner Group, one of the biggest car importers in Ukraine, and continues leading Winner Group Ukraine through wartime. We discuss building an American corporate culture automotive business in the corrupt climate of Ukraine in the 1990s, how Ukraine changed during the years of the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity, how the Russian army occupied Winner offices at the beginning of the full invasion, and how the company continues to forge ahead towards a Ukrainian victory.    

Chris Hennemeyer has spent his decades long career working in warzones all over Africa. Just after he retired, the Russians invaded Ukraine, and Chris couldn't help get himself back there on the ground in order to try to find ways to be helpful. We discuss his experiences and reflections from his time in and around Odessa, Ukraine, as well as the work of his non-profit "In the Trenches" which buys supplies for Ukrainian soldiers. 

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Alexander Motyl, an American historian, political scientist, and author as we talk about Volodymyr Zelensky's recent US visit, the US presidential candidates vis a vis Ukraine, the rise of the far right in Europe, Germany's failures in historical accountability towards Ukraine, the state of Russia's economy and explore some of Motyl's creative work.