Explaining Ukraine

Some might argue that the concept of evil is outdated in our relativistic age. And yet—how can we speak of war crimes, cruelty, or the neglect of human dignity without invoking the word evil? Perhaps it’s time to take it seriously again, to revisit the thinkers who have grappled with its meaning. One of them, of course, is Hannah Arendt. This is a conversation about Hannah Arendt and the concept of evil, which took place in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on June 1st, at the Kyiv Book Arsenal—one of the country’s major literary events. Despite the ongoing war, the fair was full of people. My guest was Marci Shore, an American intellectual, historian, and university professor. She specializes in 20th-century European intellectual history, with a particular focus on Hannah Arendt. This year, Marci co-curated the Kyiv Book Arsenal’s focus topic, alongside Oksana Forostyna. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I’m a Ukrainian philosopher, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld is an English language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country’s leading media NGOs. *** You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your support is vital, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly donation can make a big difference. You can also help fund our regular volunteer trips to Ukraine’s front-line areas, where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians—mainly by delivering vehicles for the military and books for local communities. To support these efforts, you can donate via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** Contents: 00:00 Intro 01:18 Support our work 04:44 Why is Hannah Arendt essential to understanding the 20th and 21st centuries? 06:16 What is Hannah Arendt's concept of 'radical evil'? 07:48 How are people made superfluous? 10:12 How has World War II shaped Arendt’s thought? 17:17 From “radical evil” to the “banality of evil”: connecting Arendt’s key concepts. 26:34 Marci Shore on the current situation in America 30:46 Thoughts on human dignity 32:14 Is the idea that 'everyone is replaceable' starting to repeat itself? 34:49 Why Sartre’s idea of “nothingness” might be dangerous? 42:14 Hannah Arendt: vita activa versus vita contemplativa 50:15 Outro

We need a fresh perspective on propaganda. The old strategies for combating misinformation are no longer effective. Simply offering fact-checks isn’t enough—those ensnared by propaganda aren’t searching for facts. They’re searching for something deeper: identity, belonging, and meaning. This is the central argument of a new book by Peter Pomerantsev, a renowned scholar of propaganda and information warfare. "How to Win an Information War" tells the story of British journalist Sefton Delmer, who developed innovative techniques to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II. Peter explores Delmer’s legacy in hopes of uncovering lessons for today. Perhaps we, too, can learn something from both of them. Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-pomerantsev/how-to-win-an-information-war/9781541774728/ Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. *** UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country’s leading media NGOs. You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly contribution of $5 or $10 can make a meaningful difference. You can also help fund our regular volunteer missions to Ukraine’s front-line areas, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians—primarily by providing vehicles for the military and books for local communities. To support these efforts, donations can be made via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** The podcast episode is created by Internews Ukraine as part of the project “Strengthening Truth, Transparency and Democracy to Counter Disinformation”, supported by the Government of Canada. *** CONTENTS: 00:00:00 — What if fact-checks don’t work anymore? 0:01:52 — He, who fooled Hitler. Meet Sefton Delmer 00:05:28 — Why did we forget those who understand what propaganda is? 00:07:05 — Why propaganda keeps coming back 00:09:59 — Why did the Nazis win those who lost their identity? 00:11:42 — Are you wearing the mask or is it glued to your face? 00:13:57 — Think you're immune? That’s when propaganda hits 00:16:29 — To beat propaganda, you have to be vulnerable to it 00:18:55 — The real battle isn’t between freedom and unfreedom, but about what kind of “us” we build? 00:22:50 — Delmer’s radio war 00:25:53 — Weaponizing corruption: Delmer’s strategy to weaken Nazi loyalty 00:30:41 — “We know you better than they do” 00:33:28 — Tuning in = waking up: breaking the Nazi spell with masquerade 00:35:38 — What makes Kremlin elites panic? Not war - but losing control 00:39:39 — How to break Russian support for war? 00:44:24 — Forget regime change - exploit fear of losing grip 00:47:44 — Angry? Frustrated? That’s where good media begins 00:50:02 — Do I want to die for this? The question Delmer planted in Nazi minds 00:51:00 — Propaganda, trauma, and the fight for independent thought

Terrell Jermaine Starr is a Black American journalist who spends much of his time in Ukraine. He knows the country intimately. He also recognizes the striking parallels between the experiences of Ukrainians and Black Americans in the United States. For centuries, both groups have endured systemic violence and humiliation—sometimes overt, sometimes hidden—that have pushed them into subordinate roles within societies dominated by others. In this episode, we explore these shared struggles and work toward fostering a deeper understanding between the two communities. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld and the president of PEN Ukraine. We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum, in May 2025 in Lviv, the Western part of Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Democracy is fragile today. Yet it is not confined to a single place, a specific country, or a particular political system. The democratic promise remains far from fully realized. Still, we can find hope in the idea that when democracy retreats in one part of the world, it may grow stronger in another. This is “Thinking in Dark Times”, a podcast series by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet focused on Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Aman Sethi, an Indian journalist and the editor-in-chief of openDemocracy—an independent international media platform based in London. We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum in May 2025, in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is vital, 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. This episode is produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, the country’s leading institution for cultural diplomacy.

Does Ukraine have freedom of speech during the war? How are the media surviving under such harsh conditions? How do media perspectives within Ukraine compare to those from outside the country? Guest: Ola Myrovych, CEO of the Lviv Media Forum—one of the largest media events in Ukraine. We’re recording this conversation during the forum itself, in May 2025, in Lviv. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. The “Explaining Ukraine” podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.