Kyiv Post Talks

In this episode of Off the Record, Natalka Cmoc speaks with Chrystia Freeland — Canada’s former Deputy Prime Minister and Special Representative on Ukraine’s Reconstruction — during her five-day mission in Kyiv.Freeland reflects on why the world must rethink its view of Ukraine: not only as a victim of Russia’s aggression, but as a fighter, a winner, and an innovator. She describes Ukraine as a “startup nation,” and explains why global investors should look at Ukraine as a place of resilience, creativity, and historic opportunity.Together, they discuss:– What Freeland’s reconstruction mission means in practice– Why Ukraine inspires the world with its determination to live– How underground schools, thriving theaters, and innovative businesses reflect national resilience– What investors should understand about Ukraine’s economic potential– How allies can better communicate Ukraine’s story to the worldA conversation about courage, innovation, and the future Ukraine is building even during war.

In this exclusive interview, Dr. Jason Smart speaks with Prof. Volodymyr Lugovskyy, Chair of Economics at Indiana University and a scholar published in the American Economic Review. Together they break down the hidden fractures inside Russia’s wartime economy: labor shortages, the accelerating brain drain, failing energy leverage, and the deeper statistical signals pointing toward collapse.Prof. Lugovskyy uses Game Theory to explain why sanctions are finally biting and why Russia’s current model cannot sustain a long war. This is the mathematical reality the Kremlin does not want exposed.Watch to understand why Russia’s system is approaching a breaking point, and what comes next.ABOUT THE GUEST: Prof. Volodymyr Lugovskyy is a Ukraine-born economist and the current Chair of the Economics Department at Indiana University. Holding a PhD from Purdue University, he is a globally recognized authority in International Economics and Game Theory. His research has been featured in top-tier academic journals, including the American Economic Review, European Economic Review, and the Journal of Financial Economics. Prof. Lugovskyy brings data, expertise, and a warning that Russia is playing with fire.

The situation in Pokrovsk is critical. As Russian forces advance into the city at a staggering cost, the strategic hinge of western Donetsk is becoming a meat grinder. In this Kyiv Post interview, former U.S. Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer gives Jason Smart his brutal assessment about this battle: Russia is gaining ground, but at what price? It is a price too high for Russia to bear.The discussion focuses on the unsustainable losses in Russian vehicles and personnel, and the hard choices Ukraine now faces. Pfarrer assesses why Russia, previously, was willing to pay in blood for Pokrovsk - its rail links, road hubs, and strategic value - and how Ukrainian drone warfare and counter-battery fire are exacting a massive toll for every street. Moreover, now that the city has been largely destroyed - what does Russia really gain?Pfarrer also examines the Russian tactics, the stress on Ukrainian air defense, and the operational tempo of these high-loss assaults. This is not a victory, but a brutal battle of attrition. Beyond the front, European enforcement on Russia’s shadow fleet and the tightening of financial channels raise friction and cost for the Kremlin’s war machine, aligning pressure at sea and on land. This analysis connects the tactical fight for Pokrovsk to the broader strategic and economic war. Viewers will get a clear-eyed read on the high-cost, low-gain nature of Russia's advance, how Ukrainian tactics are adapting under pressure, and the strategic implications of this fight for the rest of the Donbas. This is an evidence-driven briefing for those who want facts, not headlines, to get the truth of what is now transpiring in eastern Ukraine.

Are the red lines that are put on Ukraine, to prevent it from "provoking Russia," doing the job they are intended to do? Or do they give Putin an advantage in the war that he, without provocation, started? Chuck Pfarrer, one of America's most renowned and respected military authors and analysts, discusses with Kyiv Post's Jason Jay Smart why the current restrictions put on Kyiv, specifically, will change the outcome of the war.

Pfarrer, having been a former Squadron Leader of SEAL Team 6, explains why the failure of Russia's attempted attack is indicative of larger, systematic problems within the Russian military.

Russia, time and again, fails to make significant headway in Ukraine as it tries to face down not only Ukrainian soldiers, but its own Russian troops who are becoming increasingly unwilling to become cannon fodder. As the war progresses, Russian morale will only further fall, leading to larger organizational problems within their faltering military.

Chuck Pfarrer, one of America's most renowned and respected military authors and analysts, discusses with Kyiv Post's Jason Jay Smart why Russia is showing all of the signs of having fallen into a quagmire with no strategy or hope of being able to get out.

Pfarrer, having been a former Squadron Leader of SEAL Team 6, explains why the failure of Russia's attempted attack is indicative of larger, systematic problems within the Russian military.

Russia, time and again, fails to make significant headway in Ukraine as it tries to face down not only Ukrainian soldiers but its own Russian troops who are becoming increasingly unwilling to become cannon fodder. As the war progresses, Russian morale will only further fall, leading to larger organizational problems within their faltering military. 

Pfarrer, who has advised numerous US national security agencies and is a leading figure in the analysis of the war in Ukraine, is a new special correspondent for the Kyiv Post. Here, he explains why Russia’s losses so far have been disastrous and why an abysmal summer awaits the Kremlin. Russia fundamentally lacks the soldier-scholar model of officer leadership that would allow it to process why it is losing and to devise solutions. Instead, Russia will continue to just bleed itself dry.

Gen. Ben Hodges says that Vladimir Putin "should be looking at the disaster he has on his hands in the Kursk Region of Russia and the total ineptitude of his military. It is so bad, says the experienced General, that he sees no way that a Russian military leader could seriously hope that they will conquer all of Ukraine. 

In fact, Russia not being able to expel Ukraine from the Kursk Region of Russia is indicative of much larger problems within the Russian military that are compounding by the day, Gen. Hodges explains to Kyiv Post's Jason Jay Smart.

Estefania Melendez, who served as the interim (opposition to Maduro) government of Venezuela's Ambassador to Bulgaria, explains to Kyiv Post's Jason Smart why the Maduro-Putin alliance is so important, and what impact a revolution in Caracas could have on Ukraine' fight for freedom.

Today, the regime of Nicolas Maduro, who has led Venezuela with an iron fist since taking power following the death of his predecessor-dictator Hugo Chavez, is on thin ice as protests have spread around the country due to election results that the international community has denounced as fabricated. Despite domestic and international pressure, Maduro has promised to grasp to the Office of the President while police have begun to abandon their equipment and uniforms, absconding to prevent being lynched by Venezuelan citizens who refuse to suffer further oppression by a regime that does not represent them.

Maduro, himself a former bus driver and union activist, is currently wanted by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on charges of "narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices." According to the  FBI, Maduro racked up these charges while helping "manage, and ultimately, lead the Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug-trafficking organization comprised of high-ranking Venezuelan officials, as he gained power in Venezuela in a corrupt and violent narco-terrorism conspiracy with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization."

Jake Broe is well known, to those who follow Ukraine's war against Russian aggression, for his dynamic, interesting, and accurate analysis of what is transpiring in Russia's war against Ukraine. Through his battlefield map updates and articulate explanations, the war commentator has developed a strong following that regularly checks in to see what he thinks will happen next. 

Broe explains what internal pressures Russia is now facing that could well lead the world's largest country to a brutal defeat. 

Broe gives his candid analysis about what outcome the Kremlin is hoping to see, following this November's presidential election in the United States, and expresses why he is a strong supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, despite the arguments that some Ukraine supporters, who back Trump, make to argue that the former President would do a better job of helping Ukraine to win.

Formerly, Broe was a Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer in the United States Air Force for six years where he was in charge of the operations, maintenance, and security of the Minute Man III intercontinental ballistic missile system. 

In the new episode of Talking Substance, host Alina Hrytsenko discusses the future of Ukraine with Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko. Together, they delve into the pivotal outcomes of the recent NATO summit, the potential repercussions of the upcoming US elections, and the strategic approaches necessary for Ukraine to secure victory in the ongoing war. Join us for a profound and insightful conversation that navigates the complexities and aspirations shaping Ukraine's path forward.

In the new episode of Talking Substance host Alina Hrytsenko discusses the following with renowned Argentine journalist and TV-presenter Carolina Amoroso: How is the Russia-Ukraine war viewed in Latin America, and what are the different positions and narratives there? What is the impact of Russian propaganda? How is the battle for influence in Latin America progressing? Argentina's role? Tune in for an insightful discussion that unpacks the regional dynamics and the broader implications for global politics.