Thinking in Dark Times

How war technology shapes peace

In this podcast episode, I explore how wartime technologies can impact peaceful life, drawing parallels from historical conflicts.  Author: Volodymyr Yermalenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor in chief of UkraineWorld, president of PEN Ukraine Support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinggg [https://www.patreon.com/thinkinggg] I use the example of the Rhodes piano, which originated from technologies developed during World War II, to illustrate how tragedy can spur innovation. I also discuss how World War I and II accelerated developments in radio, television, medicine, automobiles, and aviation, which later transformed civilian life. Computer technology is also highlighted as a byproduct of WWII. I also analyze the current Russo-Ukrainian war, emphasizing the significant role of drone technology. I also note how drones are changing warfare and making previously safe areas vulnerable. I analyze how these technologies, including advanced robotics, AI-equipped drones, and satellite technology, could shape post-war society, potentially leading to advancements like drone-based delivery services and autonomous vehicles.  The episode concludes by stressing that while war is a tragedy, it is also a powerful driver of technological advancement that will inevitably influence future peaceful lives.

Decoding Trump’s Ukraine policy - with Christopher Atwood

Since Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency, Russia has drastically escalated its missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities. In January 2026, launches exceeded 6,000—a sharp increase from approximately 2,000 in January 2025. The use of guided aerial bombs (KABs) also reached a record high of almost 6,000 per month. With the Trump administration significantly cutting military aid to Kyiv, Ukraine now finds itself in an increasingly vulnerable position. What are the underlying causes of this policy shift, and what does it reveal about Trump’s vision for global order and human rights? *** Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet covering Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko—Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Christopher Atwood, an American human rights and communications expert and Head of Ukraїner International—the international branch of the popular Ukrainian media platform, Ukraїner. *** Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine [https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fli.sten.to%2Fexplaining-ukraine&token=b0f8be-1-1771487874077] UkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en [https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fukraineworld.org%2Fen&token=abcd23-1-1771487874077] *** SUPPORT: You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg [https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fc%2Fukraineworld&token=45046b-1-1771487874077] 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 [ukraine.resisting@gmail.com]. *** CONTENTS: 00:00 Intro 06:00 Why is it important to be in Ukraine? 10:08 Analysis of the US political shift: Biden VS Trump 13:58 Trump and violence 15:00 "Empathy Recession": How cruelty has become a cultural zeitgeist 21:10 The role of the media establishment 27:11 Trump`s perspectives on Ukraine: Is he a mediator or closer to Putin’s vision? 30:43 The threat to Europe 35:27 Trump’s economics 40:01 Public vs. Political support: Why most Americans still favor Ukraine 44:04 Building a coalition of the willing

Cities without Kings: Humanity's Prehistory on Ukrainian Soil — with David Wengrow

What can the deep past of Ukrainian lands reveal about the global story of humanity? Six thousand years ago, "mega-sites" flourished in what is now central Ukraine—but can these be considered the world’s first cities? How were they organized without central authorities, and how do they challenge everything we thought we knew about early social life? *** This is Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language multimedia project about Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: David Wengrow, a renowned British archaeologist and Professor of Comparative Archaeology at University College London. He is the co-author, alongside David Graeber, of the international bestseller "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity". *** Thinking in Dark Times is produced by UkraineWorld and brought to you by Internews Ukraine. It is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation and Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO. *** SUPPORT: You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg [https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fc%2Fukraineworld&token=ce7757-1-1769586263583] 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 [ukraine.resisting@gmail.com]. *** CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro. What can the deep past of Ukraine reveal about the global story of humanity? 00:14 - Were the world’s first cities actually built in what is now Ukraine? 02:51 - Why does the Ukrainian soil play a key role in rethinking the origins of cities and states? 03:55 - Why are standard narratives of human history fundamentally wrong? 09:15 - What were the Cucuteni-Trypillia megasites? 17:23 - Why does the existence of egalitarian cities overturn political history itself? 20:35 - What does a circular city say about how people imagined the world? 21:27 - How did thousands of people govern themselves without rulers? 26:36 - Did democracy exist thousands of years before ancient Greece? 28:29 - Were Hobbes and Rousseau both wrong about human nature? 42:29 - Is Ukrainian history shaped by a tension between freedom and vulnerability? 47:22 - What do burning rituals reveal about cyclical views of life and nature? 50:51 - Why does Ukraine’s past matter for the future of humanity?

Ukrainian geopolitical thought - with Danylo Lubkivsky

Ukraine has its own tradition of geopolitical thinking — a tradition that reaches deep into the past and continues to shape the country’s strategic imagination today. What are its key traits? Why was it developed more by writers than by statesmen? And how does it relate to Ukraine’s current reflection on its identity? *** 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/thinkinggg UkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en [https://ukraineworld.org/en] *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Danylo Lubkivsky, a Ukrainian diplomat and thinker, deputy foreign minister in 2014, and currently director of the Kyiv Security Forum. *** SUPPORT: You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg [https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg] Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviychuk on Ukraine’s Moral Core

She is not only a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is not only one of the most visible human-rights defenders in Europe in recent decades. She is not only a tireless activist with profound empathy for others. She is also a thinker — someone who reflects deeply on the moral foundations of freedom and dignity.  Our guest today is Oleksandra Matviychuk, a prominent Ukrainian human-rights defender and head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. In this episode, we discuss the moral ideas that hold Ukrainian society together. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. 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 [https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine]  UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en [https://ukraineworld.org/en]  *** SUPPORT:  You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg [https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg] Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. *** CONTENTS: 00:00 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk: On Freedom, Dignity, and War 02:24 "Not Nobel Peace Prize changed my life - the large-scale war has changed my life"  08:32 Torture, rape, enforced disappearances, filtration camps — the reality of Russian occupation 11:55 Why are Ukrainians not "ideal victims"? 15:57 The horror of Russian captivity: Ihor Kozlovskyi`s experience 19:44 Why is freedom existential for Ukrainians? 24:16 Ukrainian strength lies in the people's belief that their efforts matter 31:38 Over 170,000 registered Russian war crimes in Ukraine 32:18 Why is justice important now, not after the end of the war? 35:41 Why is the Russian war against Ukraine genocidal? 43:50 What gives Oleksandra Matviichuk hope today? *** The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR