Founded in 2020 and led by Terrell Jermaine Starr, this is the go-to podcast for those who want relatable content on global affairs that doesn’t center the perspectives of white male experts.
Few foreign policy shows are led by Black people or center the opinions, experiences and expertise of people of color. Black Diplomats is one exception. Guests are mostly people of color and people who are indigenous to the regions the episodes focus on.
Ukrainian POW Recalls How He Went From Pacifist To Soldier
I sat down with Maksym Butkevych, a human rights activist who spent more than two years as a POW in Russian captivity. Hearing him describe the torture and starvation he endured was heartbreaking.
What moved me most was Maksym's transformation—from a pacifist with no military experience to someone who took up arms to defend his homeland immediately after the Russian invasion. He fought bravely until he and his unit were captured in June 2022.
During his captivity, Maksym was starved and fed stale food, like his fellow POWs. He thought he wouldn’t make it out alive. He was released in October 2024.
Today, Maksym continues to advocate for war veterans, defend refugee rights, and push for a diverse, inclusive Ukraine.
To watch the full interview go to www.youtube.com/@terrelljstarrofficial (http://www.youtube.com/@terrelljstarrofficial)
Executive producer and host: Terrell J. Starr
Editor and producer: Mike Hull
Guest: Maksym Butkevych
Special Thanks: Philip Ittner and On The Edge studio
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Blue Sky at @terrelljstarr.
Support our work on Patreon!
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22 Aug 2025
Ukrainian Soldier: Trump Thinks Putin Is His Friend. He’s Not.
Regardless of how the talks in Alaska end between Russian President Vladimir Putin And U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian-American soldier Yaroslav Ponomarov believes it will not end in Ukraine’s favor.
Yaroslav moved to Brooklyn with his parents when he was five and grew up American. But when Russia invaded his homeland he decided to return, join the military and fight the colonizers. He said his commander gave him some sage advice.
”’Let them play their games. We don’t have a choice but to play along,’ he recalls his superior officer advising him. ‘In a way it's good that Ukraine is playing along because it’s showing the rest of the world that Russia doesn't want peace.’”
Dubbed as a “listening session,” Trump says any hopes for Ukraine to join NATO are off the table, but he’s open to offering Kyiv security guarantees once peace is brokered. However, virtually no one in Ukraine feels peace will follow Trump’s meeting with Putin.
Go to Terrell J Starr Official on YouTube to see video of this interview!
Executive producer and host: Terrell J. Starr
Editor and producer: Mike Hull
Guest: Yaroslav Ponomarov
Special Thanks: Philip Ittner and On The Edge studio
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Blue Sky at @terrelljstarr.
Support our work on Patreon!
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8 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT
Terrell at the Lviv Book Forum with Myroslav Shkandrij and Bohdana Romantsova
Terrell was invited to be on a panel at the Hay Festival in Lviv in October. It's a wide ranging conversation that places the current war in the kind of historical context that is rarely a part of legacy media reporting.
The work of Myroslav Shkandrij (https://www.hayfestival.com/artist.aspx?artistid=11904), professor emeritus at the Department of German and Slavic Studies, University of Manitoba, and author of Revolutionary Ukraine, 1917-2017: Flashpoints in History and Contemporary Memory Wars, prompted Ukrainians to reflect on serfdom as a form of slavery that existed in Ukrainian territory. Terrell Jermaine Starr (https://www.hayfestival.com/artist.aspx?artistid=11900) is an American journalist and activist who writes about Ukraine, foreign policy and race. Chaired by Bohdana Romantsova (https://www.hayfestival.com/artist.aspx?artistid=11905), editor at Tempora Publishing House.
Inside a recent episode
Ukrainian POW Recalls How He Went From Pacifist To Soldier
Published 4 Sept 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] But at that moment, the way what's quite often forgotten now are the extreme shortages of everything, like a shortage of fuel. There was extreme shortage of fuel, as Russians bombed all the refineries and everything. There was shortage of ammo, basic ammo for Kalashnikov rifles. We were short of it. […]
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