Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond

This is the audio version of the March 1, 2026, article "Russia Signals Acceptance of U.S.-Backed Security Guarantees for Ukraine" in the Substack newsletter "Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond." Subscribe by email to know what's actually happening beyond the headlines! Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

This is the audio version of the February 26, 2026, article "Trump Urges Zelensky to Reach Peace Deal 'Within a Month' in the Substack newsletter "Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond." Subscribe to this newsletter by email to know what's actually happening beyond the headlines! Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Sergiy Tomilenko, the president of the largest journalistic association – the Union of Journalists of Ukraine - joined Viktor Kovalenko to talk about press freedom, relations between media and the government of President Zelensky, issues with press accreditations for foreign journalists, and war-time media solidarity. // Sound from Zapsplat.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Vladislav Davidzon, a writer, translator, and critic joins Viktor Kovalenko to discuss the cultural and political transformations in Ukraine during the ongoing Russian war. We discussed the first days of the Russian invasion, his magazine the Odessa Review and his book From Odessa With Love, how he burned his Russian passport in front of the Russian Embassy in France, why some Russians aren't granted an asylum in the US, political legacy and Jewish roots of President Zelensky, the new documentary Superpower by Sean Penn, and what is wrong with the Oscar. Mr. Davidzon is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Since 2012, he also serves as the European culture correspondent for the Tablet Magazine. In 2015, Davidzon founded the Odessa Review and served as its chief editor until July 2018. His work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, World Policy Journal, the New York Observer, and the American Interest. Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, my guest was Brian Mefford, a US expat from Kyiv who lives and works there for almost 23 years. We talked about Brian’s life and business during the Russian war against Ukraine, his relief project Help Ukraine 22 Operation Palyanytsya for those affected by the war, and what the Americans should understand about the modern Ukrainians. Mr. Mefford is a co-owner and managing director of the communications firm Wooden Horse Strategies LLC as well as a senior non-resident fellow of the American political think tank the Atlantic Council. In 2009, Mr. Mefford advised a Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko in his communications. Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Adrian Karatnycky, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center (USA) joins this podcast episode. As the Russian war approaches the year mark, we discussed the major positive outcomes for Ukraine due to its heroic resistance. Mr. Karatnycky explained why the Russian elites are so hateful and genocidal in pursuing their occupation goals. He expressed his opinion about the unexpected December visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States and his impressive speech before US Congress, as well as perspectives of securing bipartisan support of Ukraine in America after the Republican Party won majority in the House. Also Mr. Karatnycky expressed doubts that we should expect the dismemberment of Russian Federation as a result of its possible defeat in Ukraine. Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

The guest of this episode is Brian Bonner, a former chief editor of the Kyiv Post, the English-language weekly newspaper in Ukraine. He is an American national from Minnesota who resides in Kyiv since the end of the 90s. It was a pure luck to interview Mr. Bonner between electricity outages in the Ukrainian capital city caused by the Russian missile attacks on the energy infrastructure. He explained why he remains in the war-torn country and why the Ukrainians will survive winter of 2022-2023. We discussed why Ukraine was slow in reforms during three decades of independence since the collapse of the Soviet Union and didn’t become a member of the European Union and NATO. He expressed his opinion about achievements and faults of different Ukrainian Presidents, comparing pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych with pro-Western Volodymyr Zelensky and Petro Poroshenko. Mr. Bonner commented on work of Ukrainian journalists and Western reporters parachuted there to cover the war. Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

In this podcast episode David Stulik, a senior analyst in European Values Center for Security Policy think tank (Czech Republic) and a former diplomat of the European Union in Ukraine talks with Viktor Kovalenko about what Europeans think about the Russian war against Ukraine. For twelve years, Mr. Stulík served in Kyiv as the press and information officer at the EU Delegation (then - the EU Embassy). We discussed why didn't Europe help Ukraine in 2014 during the first Russian military invasion that led to the Russian annexation of Crimea and occupation of the part of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. It was interesting to hear what the he and Europeans think about the idea of peace negotiations promoted by some political influencers in the West and backed by the invader Russia since November 2022. Mr. Stulik explained why the European financial and economic sanctions imposed on Russia for its military aggression don't work as expected and what does Ukraine have real chances to join NATO in the future. Also Mr. Stulik explained how Czechia helps the war refugees. Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (USA) and professor at Georgetown University (Washington D.C.) discusses with a journalist Viktor Kovalenko his ideas on how to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table in the middle of the war. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Steven Seegel, a Slavic and Eurasian Studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin (USA), talks with a journalist Viktor Kovalenko about his February 24th Archive, a social media project exploring the Russian war and about what the US academia does and could do to support Ukraine. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. J Andres Gannon, a Stanton nuclear security fellow from the Council on Foreign Relations (New York city, USA) talks about the Russian nuclear threats, a game of brinkmanship, and occupation of the Ukrainian nuclear power plants. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Ian Kelly, a former US Ambassador to OSCE and Georgia, and currently an Ambassador in Residence at Northwestern University (Illinois) talks about unexpected Russian war against Ukraine, why the West didn't help Kyiv in 2014, Ukraine's NATO aspirations, a disputed Nagorny Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and perspectives of Ukraine's support after US midterm elections. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Mart Kuldkepp, an Estonian historian and Scandinavianist from University College London (UK) talks about Sweden, Finland, and Estonia in the context of the Russian war against Ukraine and legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Baltic countries. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Petro Burkovskyy, an executive director of the Ilko Kucheriv's Democratic Initiatives Foundation (Ukraine) talks about Ukrainian resistance, recent sociological surveys, and informational war. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Cüneyt Gürer, a professor from George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies talks about the interests and behavior of Turkey during the Russia-Ukraine war. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

A German historian Dr. Jan Claas Behrends talks about Germany and its relations with Russia and Ukraine. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Olexander Scherba, a former Ukraine's Ambassador to Austria and a political speechwriter explains the policy mistakes of the western countries regarding Ukraine. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Alexander Lanoszka from Canada explains defensive alliances around Russia and Ukraine. / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Brian Porter-Szűcs, a history professor at the University of Michigan (US) talks about Poland and how this neighbor helps Ukraine during the war with Russia. / / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com Get full access to Decoded: Ukraine, Russia, and Beyond at ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe

Eugene Bondarenko, a lecturer in the Ukrainian language at the University of Michigan (US) talks about Ukrainian cultural resistance in times of the war against Russia. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ukrainedecoded.substack.com/subscribe