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 Around the world, the language of victory has largely been replaced by the language of peace.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.
How Ukraine fights Russian drones - with Taras Tymochko
Explaining Ukraine
47 minutes 10 seconds
3 months ago
How Ukraine fights Russian drones - with Taras Tymochko
Let’s take a deeper look into drone warfare and the long-term changes it is bringing to the battlefield. How is Ukraine countering Russian drone attacks? How is it developing systems of drone interceptors? Are we moving toward a future where drones will fight other drones? And what skills must our societies cultivate to prepare for this new reality?
***
The “Explaining Ukraine” podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine
Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld
***
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.
Guest: Taras Tymochko, a consultant at Come Back Alive (Povernys zhyvym), one of Ukraine’s most prominent charitable foundations supporting the military and veterans since 2014. Taras coordinates the foundation’s project “Dronopad”—“the fall of drones”—which aims to develop a system of interceptor drones for the Ukrainian army to take down as many Russian drones as possible.
***
SUPPORT:
You can support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld.
We rely on your contributions to keep UkraineWorld going.
You can also help finance our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we assist both civilians and soldiers. Donations are welcome via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com
***
CONTENTS:
00:00 Taras Tymochko, "Come Back Alive" Foundation Consultant, "Dronefall" Project Lead.
02:15 How did drones eliminate the traditional front line?
03:10 “Kill zone”: a wide space between the two armies in which soldiers on both sides are extremely vulnerable because of the drones.
04:35 Comparing Russian and Ukrainian drone capabilities
06:03 Dronefall Project: producing interceptor drones
12:47 Why do cheap interceptors defeat expensive missiles?
18:02 AI on Battlefield: How close are we to autonomous interceptor drones?
21:21 How new interceptor divisions are created in Ukraine's forces
26:49 How Ukraine counters fiber optic drones
29:39 The future war: the role of drones vs. infantry
33:13 Starlink: advantages, vulnerabilities, and alternatives in communication
37:54 Why is "battlefield experience" so important?
42:57 What "battlefield-tested" quality means
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.
