Ukraine Without Hype

New Patreon page, so please help us spread the news about Ukraine: https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype Ukraine and its allies continue to try to head off the possible Russian offensive, but there is tension between Kyiv and Washington over how severe the threat may be. Then, in local news, a mass shooting by a National Guardsmen of his fellow soldiers and a corruption scandal at the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone regarding nuclear waste. Next, we list some of the most frequent errors made by foreign journalists and politicians when describing Ukraine and go into some detail on how to correct them. We end by analyzing the arguments from the different sides of the political spectrum for why they might support Russia, and make a plea to the Left to re-adjust some of their assumptions and have solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Here are some timestamps to better reach some of our arguments: Style Guide 27:30 - Kyiv, not Kiev and other naming conventions. 33:00 - It is a Russian invasion, not a Civil War. 29:40 - The Far-Right is not as much of a problem as it is made out to be, do not focus on it to the exclusion of anything else. 45:00 - Ukrainian West vs. Russian East is vastly misunderstood. 49:30 - Do not rely on what you learned in WW2 movies and video games Russia's Supporters and Fellow Travelers 53:00 - Bipartisan Bad Arguments 49:30 - Why the Right Supports Russia 1:04:30 - Why the Left Supports Russia

3 Feb 20221h 29min

As the Russian military buildup continues on the Ukrainian border, diplomats from Ukraine, Russia, the UK, and the EU meet to avert catastrophe - to little effect thus far. A likely Russian or Belarusian-based hack of multiple Ukrainian government-connected websites was mostly just an inconvenience. But, it highlights the years-long trends of both cyber warfare and using false flags to try and hurt Ukrainian-Polish relations. Protests in Kazakhstan are met with lethal force by the government, who called in help from Russia and its other allies in the CSTO. Former President Petro Poroshenko returns to Kyiv, where a judge was waiting for him to answer treason charges.

19 Jan 20221h 1min

The New Year is right around the corner and our last episode of the year is a big one. Anthony Bartaway talks about what he saw and heard in some of the conflict-affected places in Donbas. Then he and Romeo Kokriatski get into the weeds about the likelihood of a renewed Russian invasion of Ukraine. The episode wraps up with news of former President Petro Poroshenko being accused of treason and how much it can be considered a power grab. З Новим Pоком!

30 Des 20211h 14min

After a far too long August hiatus, Ukraine Without Hype is Back. Anthony Bartaway runs down some of the top news stories that we missed while we were away. These include the current Russian military buildup, Belarus spurring on a migrant crisis, an update on the Nordstream 2 pipeline, the end of the war in Afghanistan and Ukraine's role in evacuating refugees, Zelensky's bizarre presser and how it relates to press freedoms, the Crimea Platform, the Pandora Papers, checking in on the far-right post-Avakov, a covid update, public Hannukah observance as a mark of progress, and the death and rebirth of the Kyiv Post. A lot has happened.

10 Des 202133min

For the August 3rd edition of Ukraine Without Hype, Romeo Kokriatski and Anthony Bartaway go over the large-scale personnel changes at the top of the Ministries of Defense and Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian military. Most of the attention goes to the newly-minted Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrsky. Then, on to a recent law that protects the rights of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. We wrap up with some comments on Belarus trying to kidnap one of their own Olympic athletes and the mysterious death of a Belarusian activist in Kyiv.

3 Aug 202133min

For the July 21st edition of Ukraine Without Hype, Romeo Kokriatski and Anthony Bartaway go over a bombshell story from the week: the irreplaceable Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has finally been replaced. Then, we cover how Ukraine is implementing one of the reforms most demanded from international partners: the opening up of agricultural land for purchase, something that was previously banned. Finally, a small section on the arrest of a left-wing activist on manufactured charges and his possible deportation to Belarus.

21 Jul 202137min

For the July 5th edition of Ukraine Without Hype, Romeo Kokriatski and Anthony Bartaway go over Ukraine's most recent attempts to spur NATO leadership into moving forward with its ascension into the alliance. Then, we cover the next oligarch to have come into the sights of the current, though flawed, push for de-oligarchization: Dmytro Firtash. We close with some brief thoughts on William Shatner's new business relationship with Russia Today, which even he seemed confused about, and the unfolding story of the assault on Tbilisi Pride.

5 Jul 202138min

For the June 8th edition of Ukraine Without Hype, Romeo Kokriatski and Anthony Bartaway cover delve into the story of pro-Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, his treason investigation, and what that means in terms of a larger "de-oligarchization" effort. Then, updates on the situation in Belarus, where the Lukashenko regime is making such flagrant use of torture that they invited Russian militants from Donbas to help them do it.

8 Jun 202132min