Journalist Lydia Tomkiw joins Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia in this episode to discuss Ukrainian history, identity, and culture.

Raised in a Sacremento community formed by the Ukrainian American diaspora, Lydia grew up speaking Ukrainian and attending Ukrainian Saturday school. She explains the many facets of Ukrainian identity and how history and modern events have and do shape it.

References: "Letter from the diaspora: Why Ukraine will endure" by Lydia Tomkiw; Gates of Europe: on Ukraine's Modern History by Serhii Plokhy; Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine by Anne Applebaum

How to help Ukraine:

• Razom for Ukraine
• United Ukrainian American Relief Committee
• The Kyiv Independent
• The Ukrainian Museum in New York City
• The Ukrainian Institute
• Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University

Former Hungarian parliamentarian, Zoltán Kész, joins Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia to to give background on the April 3rd election and explain what to expect.

He gives his analysis on the chances of Fidesz winning the election. Zoltán also recounts his own experiences with propaganda, smear campaigns, and pressure from Fidesz during his parliamentary campaigns.

This episode was recorded on February 22, days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Stay tuned until the end of the episode for an update from Zoltán on how the war is affecting the election.

Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia are joined by Mikuláš Dzurinda, former Prime Minister of Slovakia and President of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, to discuss Central European and Eastern European countries' integration into regional and international economic, security, and political organizations. Former Prime Minister Dzurinda traces the history of his home country, Slovakia, from being the "black hole of Europe" to a committed, productive member of the EU and NATO.

All discuss existing divisions among Western European and other European countries, yet PM Dzurinda notes how the war in Ukraine, among other European crises in recent years, have demonstrated that countries like Slovakia, Slovenia, Czechia, and Poland are determined, willing partners standing in solidarity with Europe at large.

Two days after President Biden's speech in Poland, during which he said that Putin "cannot remain in power," Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia analyze the consequences of his gaffe.

Our hosts talk about who will bear the burden of Biden's apparent mistake and how it is disconnected from Ukraine's future. They also discuss this weekend's NATO and European Council summits showed lack of a united strategy by the West. Finally, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia look ahead to what might come next this week.

Today, the 30th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Yuriy Sak, advisor to Ukraine's Minister of Defense, joins Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia from Western Ukraine to share his message with the West.

Yuriy explains what Ukraine needs from the West in terms of weapons and support. He and Giselle visit the possibility of Ukrainian counter attacks on the Russians. Finally, Yuriy shows how this war is also the West's war, and how Ukraine is fighting for democratic civilizations worldwide.

Former Hungarian Ambassador to the United States, Andras Simonyi, joins Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia to talk about the paradox that is Viktor Orban.

He discusses the Hungarian and Russian relationship weeks away from the Hungarian presidential election. Ambassador Simonyi explains how Russian propaganda has infiltrated Eastern European media and why it isn't too early to start thinking about how to help Ukraine rebuild. Finally, he tells our hosts how rock 'n' roll represented freedom in Hungary during the Cold War.

References: Rocking Toward a Free World by Andras Simonyi

Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Dr. Aviezer Tucker, Center Associate at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Dr. Tucker discusses the themes of his piece in the UnPopulist, “Along with Ukraine, Putin is Destroying Putinism.” He draws a parallel between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, arguing that similarly to how the 1968 invasion lead to the end of communism as an ideology, the invasion of Ukraine will lead to the end of “Putinism,” what he describes as a “witches’ brew of authoritarianism, religious fundamentalism, nationalism, reactionary social values, illiberalism, anti-internationalism and anti-Americanism.”

References: Along with Ukraine, Putin is Destroying Putinism, UnPopulist.

Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia discuss Zelensky's speeches to the West, in particular his addresses to the US Congress, UK Parliament, and German Bundestag.

They examine the implications of Zelensky's speeches on the ground, and beyond into the Eastern Front and the larger West.

References: Public Expresses Mixed Views of U.S. Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, Pew Research Center.

Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Mason Clark, Lead Russia Analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, to discuss updates and new developments on Ukraine’s ongoing defense against Russia in the last week.

Mason discussed how Ukrainian forces have been in an overall good position in holding back Russian forces around Kyiv and northeastern Ukraine, as well as in retaining the ability to launch localized counter attacks.

They also provide an assessment of Biden’s new announcement of $800 million in new security assistance to Ukraine, how likely it is to make a difference, and what else is needed to help.

Giselle, Iulia, and Dalibor break down the highlights and lowlights of Ukraine's ongoing defense and analyze allies' strategies to offer Ukraine defensive support. They call out the fallacy of partner countries "Westsplaining" how Ukraine ought to defend itself, and they discuss how Ukraine's allies should instead align their defensive actions according to Ukraine's needs.

References: "Putin’s biggest lie: Blaming NATO for his war" written by Hal Brands, Senior Fellow at AEI, and published by Bloomberg Opinion on March 13, 2022.