A Ukrainian Philosopher on What Putin Never Understood About Ukraine

<p>Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is only getting more brutal: We’ve seen the bodies of civilians strewn in the streets in Bucha, the city of Mariupol almost leveled and, just a few days ago, a Russian missile attack on a crowded train station in Kramatorsk killing at least 50 people. The United Nations <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/news/2022/04/ukraine-civilian-casualty-update-10-april-2022" target="_blank">has confirmed</a> 1,793 civilian deaths in Ukraine, though the actual number is thought to be far higher.</p><p>Russia’s viciousness in this campaign makes Ukraine’s resilience all the more remarkable. Ukrainians have defied expectations in staving off Russia’s far larger army and holding cities like Kyiv that <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/gen-milley-says-kyiv-could-fall-within-72-hours-if-russia-decides-to-invade-ukraine-sources" target="_blank">some believed</a> might fall within days of an invasion. Much of the commentary in recent weeks has revolved around what this war has revealed about Russia: its myths, its military, its leadership, its threat. What’s no less important, though, is what this war has revealed about Ukraine.</p><p>Ukrainians have modeled a deep commitment to self-determination and shown how far they would go to protect it. The Ukrainian philosopher and editor Volodymyr Yermolenko <a href="https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/03/05/volodymyr-yermolenko-a-ukrainian-philosopher-considers-his-national-identity" target="_blank">has written</a> that “freedom is the key trait of Ukraine’s identity as a political nation,” and Ukraine’s resistance testifies to how deep that trait runs.</p><p>Yermolenko is a philosopher, the editor in chief of <a href="https://ukraineworld.org/" target="_blank">UkraineWorld</a> and the editor of the essay collection “<a href="http://cup.columbia.edu/book/ukraine-in-histories-and-stories/9783838214566" target="_blank">Ukraine in Histories and Stories</a>.” I invited Yermolenko onto the show to help me understand how Ukraine has defined itself in rel