How are people in the U.S. and Germany responding to Russia’s war in Ukraine?

Tearing Down Walls

26-03-2022 • 35 mins

It’s been over a month since Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, destroying cities and displacing millions of people. In this episode, we hear from some of those Ukrainians who fled their homes, as well as from people who are providing aid in Germany. Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with Ukrainian-born, Berlin-based DJ Yuriy Gurzhy about how he’s processing the news coming out of his homeland. Ukrainian refugee Natalia shares her story with the translation help of Svetlana Shaytanova, press speaker for Quarteera, an association of Russian-speaking LGBTQ+ people in Germany. Oliver Spatz, artistic director of the Kulturzug (Culture Train) explains how his organization pivoted from promoting culture to providing humanitarian aid. And Olena Lennon, professor at the University of New Haven, breaks down the U.S. reaction and the impact of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rhetoric.