Betrayal and Espionage in Post-WWII Ukraine

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Exploring the intricate history of Ukraine post-World War II, the chapter follows the harrowing tale of individuals coerced into espionage and betrayal amidst the resistance movements. It reveals the heartbreaking stories of individuals torn between loyalty and personal relationships in a backdrop of political turmoil.

Serhii Plokhy is a Ukrainian historian at Harvard University, director of the Ukrainian Research Institute, and an author of many books on history of Eastern Europe, including his latest book The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/serhii-plokhy-transcript

EPISODE LINKS:
Serhii’s X: https://x.com/splokhy
Serhii’s Website: https://history.fas.harvard.edu/people/serhii-plokhii
Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute: https://huri.harvard.edu/
Serhii’s Books: https://amzn.to/3OS2EqK
2006 – The Origins of the Slavic Nations
2010 – Yalta: The Price of Peace
2012 – The Cossack Myth: History and Nationhood in the Age of Empires
2014 – The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union
2015 – The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine
2016 – The Man with the Poison Gun: A Cold War Spy Story
2017 – Lost Kingdom: The Quest for Empire and the Making of the Russian Nation
2018 – Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy
2021 – Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis
2021 – The Frontline: Essays on Ukraine’s Past and Present
2022 – Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disaster
2023 – The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(09:10) – Collapse of the Soviet Union
(25:19) – Origins of Russia and Ukraine
(38:22) – Ukrainian nationalism
(46:04) – Stepan Bandera
(1:15:05) – KGB
(1:30:03) – War in Ukraine
(2:06:19) – NATO and Russia
(2:17:22) – Peace talks
(2:31:09) – Ukrainian Army head Valerii Zaluzhnyi
(2:37:46) – Power and War
(2:48:37) – Holodomor
(2:55:09) – Chernobyl
(3:05:43) – Nuclear power
(3:15:20) – Future of the world