328. Yaroslav Trofimov - Russia's Invasion was an Existential Threat to Ukraine, but People Fought Back.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Yaroslav Trofimov has
spent months on end at the heart of the conflict, very often on its
front lines. In this authoritative account, he traces the war’s decisive
moments—from the battle for Kyiv to more recently the gruelling and
bloody arm wrestle involving the Wagner group over Bakhmut—to show how
Ukraine and its allies have turned the tide against Russia in a
modern-day battle of David and Goliath.
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BOOKS:
Our Enemies Will Vanish – The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of
Independence (2023)
Faith at War (2005)
Siege of Mecca (2007)
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GUEST:
Yaroslav Trofimov is the chief foreign-affairs correspondent of The Wall
Street Journal and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in
international reporting for two consecutive years, in 2022 and 2023.
Before covering the Russian war on Ukraine, he reported on most major
conflicts of the past two decades, serving as the Journal's bureau chief
in Afghanistan and Pakistan and correspondent in Iraq. He holds an MA
from New York University and is the author of several highly critically
acclaimed books.
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ABOUT "OUR ENEMIES WILL VANISH"
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Yaroslav Trofimov has
spent months on end at the heart of the conflict, very often on its
front lines. In this authoritative account, he traces the war’s decisive
moments—from the battle for Kyiv to more recently the gruelling and
bloody arm wrestle involving the Wagner group over Bakhmut—to show how
Ukraine and its allies have turned the tide against Russia in a
modern-day battle of David and Goliath.

Putin had intended to conquer Ukraine with a vicious blitzkrieg, in a
few short weeks. But in the face of this existential threat, the
Ukrainian people fought back, turning what looked like certain defeat
into a great moral victory, even as the territorial battle continues to
seesaw to this day. This is the story of their epic bravery in the face
of almost unthinkable aggression.

For Trofimov, this war is deeply personal. He grew up in Kyiv and his
family has lived there for generations. He tells the story of how
everyday Ukrainian citizens—doctors, computer programmers,
businesspeople, and schoolteachers—risked their lives and lost loved
ones.

At once heart-breaking and inspiring, and combining vivid reportage with
expert military analysis and rare insight into the thinking of
Ukrainian leadership, Our Enemies Will Vanish tells the riveting story
Ukraine’s fight for survival and refusal to surrender as it has never
been told before.
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LINKS:
https://twitter.com/yarotrof
https://www.wsj.com/news/author/yaroslav-trofimov
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/72796/yaroslav-trofimov/
https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/yaroslav-trofimov-and-james-marson-wall-street-journal
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TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:
Save Ukraine
https://www.saveukraineua.org/

Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas
https://superhumans.com/en/

UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in
Ukraine
https://unbroken.org.ua/

Come Back Alive
https://savelife.in.ua/en/

Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen
https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine

UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy
https://u24.gov.ua/

Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation
https://prytulafoundation.org

NGO “Herojam Slava”
https://heroiamslava.org/

kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and
Przemyśl
https://kharpp.com/

NOR DOG Animal Rescue
https://www.nor-dog.org/home/
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