Ukraine Going From Maidan To War / Volodymyr Ishchenko

In this incisive episode of 'This Is Hell!', host Chuck Mertz returns to the show with sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko to dissect the deeper structural forces behind the Russia-Ukraine war, challenging the dominant narrative that frames the conflict as a simple battle between democracy and authoritarianism. Ishchenko argues that the war did not begin in 2022 with Russia's full-scale invasion, but rather in 2014 with the Euromaidan uprising, which exposed deep class divisions within Ukrainian society. He contends that both the 2004 and 2014 revolutions failed because they were co-opted by post-Soviet political capitalists and Western-aligned elites, leading to a war of attrition that has devastated Ukraine. The episode highlights the brutal reality of 'busification'—forced mobilization of men aged 25 to 55—where poor and working-class Ukrainians are forcibly recruited, often brutalized, while the wealthy avoid service through bribery. Ishchenko critiques the myth of Ukrainian national unity, revealing widespread draft evasion, desertion, and social resistance, especially among women and families of conscripts. He also explores the concept of 'military Keynesianism'—where state spending on war boosts certain sectors of the economy—and warns that the war is not only destroying Ukraine but also undermining the global liberal order. Ultimately, Ishchenko calls for an end to the war not for geopolitical gain, but to preserve any future for Ukraine at all, emphasizing that the country faces a demographic catastrophe with projections of population decline to 15 million by the end of the century.