In 2025, Ukraine is facing unprecedented pressure from one of its key partners, the United States. The Trump administration has chosen not to act as Ukraine’s ally, but rather as a mediator between Ukraine and Europe on the one hand, and Russia on the other.
This shift has fundamentally changed the geopolitical framework of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Around the world, the language of victory has largely been replaced by the language of peace. Yet under current conditions, “peace” often implies that Ukraine will not regain its occupied territories—and such a peace may, in fact, amount to Ukraine’s defeat.
In this episode, we explain why this is a dangerous path. We also look back at 2025 and summarize its key developments
***
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.
Guest: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian journalist and public intellectual, the head of the international department at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, and author of the podcast “L’Ukraine face a la guerre”, “Ukraine facing the war”, in French.
***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en
***
SUPPORT:
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld
Your help is crucial, 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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.
***
CONTENTS:
00:00 - Introduction
01:46 - US's shift from ally to mediator in Russia-Ukraine war. The impact of the Trump administration's approach to military aid.
06:13 - Trump and Putin's similar world vision regarding spheres of influence.
07:03 - Key elements of proposed peace plans: territorial concessions, security guarantees, and military withdrawal.
08:38 - Ukraine's public opinion against territorial concessions.
13:55 - The "fog" of peace negotiations occurring amidst ongoing total war and Russia's strategy of buying time.
17:33 - Legal and moral challenges of territorial concessions and skepticism about the legitimacy of peace plan negotiators.
20:48 - The escalation of the war, increased civilian suffering due to infrastructure bombardments, and Ukraine's strategy to target the Russian economy.
25:01 - Ukraine's dilemma in peace talks and Russia's strategy of worsening conditions over time.
29:04 - Donald Trump's political weaknesses and Zelenskyy's strategy
30:57 - The security situation on the front line: the rise of drone warfare, its increasing danger to civilians, and the expanding "kill zone."
39:07 - Ukrainian internal politics: the war against corruption, the role of civil society, and Zelenskyy's responsiveness to public opinion.
46:45 - Concluding remarks and a call for support for UkraineWorld.
All content for Explaining Ukraine is the property of UkraineWorld and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In 2025, Ukraine is facing unprecedented pressure from one of its key partners, the United States. The Trump administration has chosen not to act as Ukraine’s ally, but rather as a mediator between Ukraine and Europe on the one hand, and Russia on the other.
This shift has fundamentally changed the geopolitical framework of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Around the world, the language of victory has largely been replaced by the language of peace. Yet under current conditions, “peace” often implies that Ukraine will not regain its occupied territories—and such a peace may, in fact, amount to Ukraine’s defeat.
In this episode, we explain why this is a dangerous path. We also look back at 2025 and summarize its key developments
***
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.
Guest: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian journalist and public intellectual, the head of the international department at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, and author of the podcast “L’Ukraine face a la guerre”, “Ukraine facing the war”, in French.
***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en
***
SUPPORT:
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld
Your help is crucial, 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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.
***
CONTENTS:
00:00 - Introduction
01:46 - US's shift from ally to mediator in Russia-Ukraine war. The impact of the Trump administration's approach to military aid.
06:13 - Trump and Putin's similar world vision regarding spheres of influence.
07:03 - Key elements of proposed peace plans: territorial concessions, security guarantees, and military withdrawal.
08:38 - Ukraine's public opinion against territorial concessions.
13:55 - The "fog" of peace negotiations occurring amidst ongoing total war and Russia's strategy of buying time.
17:33 - Legal and moral challenges of territorial concessions and skepticism about the legitimacy of peace plan negotiators.
20:48 - The escalation of the war, increased civilian suffering due to infrastructure bombardments, and Ukraine's strategy to target the Russian economy.
25:01 - Ukraine's dilemma in peace talks and Russia's strategy of worsening conditions over time.
29:04 - Donald Trump's political weaknesses and Zelenskyy's strategy
30:57 - The security situation on the front line: the rise of drone warfare, its increasing danger to civilians, and the expanding "kill zone."
39:07 - Ukrainian internal politics: the war against corruption, the role of civil society, and Zelenskyy's responsiveness to public opinion.
46:45 - Concluding remarks and a call for support for UkraineWorld.
Can Security Guarantees Stop Russia’s War? — with Hanna Shelest
Explaining Ukraine
57 minutes 16 seconds
3 months ago
Can Security Guarantees Stop Russia’s War? — with Hanna Shelest
If Ukraine does not receive real security guarantees, the war will continue—and is likely to spill over into the rest of Europe. But what kind of guarantees are truly needed, and which of them are realistic?
***
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.
Our guest today is Hanna Shelest, one of Ukraine’s leading experts on international security and foreign policy. She is Director of the Security Studies Program at the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism,” and Editor-in-Chief of the journal UA: Ukraine Analytica.
Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine
***
You can support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld
Your contributions are vital—we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas of Ukraine, where we support both civilians and soldiers. Donations are welcome via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com
***
CONTENTS:
00:00 Hanna Shelest, director of the Security Studies Programme at the Foreign Policy Council 'Ukrainian Prism'
02:04 A Century of Broken Promises: What History Teaches Us About Security Agreements
04:24 The NATO Paradox: Is Article 5 a Paper Tiger or a Real Deterrent?
16:20 The Baltic States on the Brink: How Real is the Threat of a Russian Blitzkrieg?
22:55 Non-Mutual Animosity: When a 'Gentleman's Agreement' Meets a Rapist
26:40 Has the US Abandoned Its Role as Ally to Become a Mediator?
30:32 Why Can't Europe Play This Role in the Conflict?
32:39 Alaska Fallout: Was the Meeting a Strategic Victory or a Destructive Blunder?
41:42 Sanctions in the Gray Zone: Why Do Loopholes Still Undermine Global Efforts?
47:35 The 'Orange' Fallacy: Why Ceding Territory is an Act of Awarding Aggression?
49:34 The Deeper Cost of War: Why Are We Talking About Land, Not People?
Explaining Ukraine
In 2025, Ukraine is facing unprecedented pressure from one of its key partners, the United States. The Trump administration has chosen not to act as Ukraine’s ally, but rather as a mediator between Ukraine and Europe on the one hand, and Russia on the other.
This shift has fundamentally changed the geopolitical framework of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Around the world, the language of victory has largely been replaced by the language of peace. Yet under current conditions, “peace” often implies that Ukraine will not regain its occupied territories—and such a peace may, in fact, amount to Ukraine’s defeat.
In this episode, we explain why this is a dangerous path. We also look back at 2025 and summarize its key developments
***
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.
Guest: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian journalist and public intellectual, the head of the international department at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, and author of the podcast “L’Ukraine face a la guerre”, “Ukraine facing the war”, in French.
***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en
***
SUPPORT:
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld
Your help is crucial, 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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.
***
CONTENTS:
00:00 - Introduction
01:46 - US's shift from ally to mediator in Russia-Ukraine war. The impact of the Trump administration's approach to military aid.
06:13 - Trump and Putin's similar world vision regarding spheres of influence.
07:03 - Key elements of proposed peace plans: territorial concessions, security guarantees, and military withdrawal.
08:38 - Ukraine's public opinion against territorial concessions.
13:55 - The "fog" of peace negotiations occurring amidst ongoing total war and Russia's strategy of buying time.
17:33 - Legal and moral challenges of territorial concessions and skepticism about the legitimacy of peace plan negotiators.
20:48 - The escalation of the war, increased civilian suffering due to infrastructure bombardments, and Ukraine's strategy to target the Russian economy.
25:01 - Ukraine's dilemma in peace talks and Russia's strategy of worsening conditions over time.
29:04 - Donald Trump's political weaknesses and Zelenskyy's strategy
30:57 - The security situation on the front line: the rise of drone warfare, its increasing danger to civilians, and the expanding "kill zone."
39:07 - Ukrainian internal politics: the war against corruption, the role of civil society, and Zelenskyy's responsiveness to public opinion.
46:45 - Concluding remarks and a call for support for UkraineWorld.
