"History in the Making: The War in Ukraine" with Mark McNamee provides a comprehensive exploration of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Host Mark, drawing from his extensive background in Eastern European studies and professional experience, offers a nuanced perspective on the region's significance. Through a blend of macro-level analysis and personal narratives, listeners gain insight into life in wartime Ukraine and the resilience of its people. Tune in to uncover the untold stories of Ukraine and understand the historical moment unfolding before us.
Why Is The West Losing Hope? The Psychology of Societies in Crisis
A great pleasure and honor to have back on the show one of my favorite and most popular guests, existential philosopher Professor Sheldon Solomon. Our earlier show - on August 28, 2025 - is one of my top 3 shows of nearly 100 to date.
Last time around we focused on getting inside the heads of Putin and Trump. This time around, rather than focusing on individuals, I wanted to take a broader view of things and focus on societies. This feels like a natural continuation of our previous conversation, moving from the psychology of leaders to the psychology of societies and civilizations.
The world has only gotten more crazy and dangerous since we last spoke so for that reason I wanted to speak with Professor Solomon to discuss how these rising existential threats - AI, threats of nuclear war, War in Ukraine, War in Iran, climate change, etc - are reshaping politics, democracy, and Western civilization.
I admit, we started off a bit depressing (to say the least) but ended up on a positive note. Listen to the end so you don't get too discouraged!
About Professor Sheldon Solomon
Professor Sheldon Solomon is an American social psychologist. He is a professor of psychology and existential philosophy at Skidmore College in New York. His studies of the effects of the uniquely human awareness of death on behavior were featured in the award winning documentary film Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality. He is co-author of The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life.
To connect and message with Mark on LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mcnamee-58950910
To learn more, visit:
https://ubn.network/
Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/
If you found this episode valuable, follow the podcast and share it with someone who wants to better understand the war in Ukraine.
3 Sept 2026
Where the War Stands Today - Improvements at the Front, Major Challenges in the Rear
Always a pleasure to have on the show my friend and great war correspondent, Giorgio Provinciali, who has see it all across the entire front the last 4 years.
We talked about the comprehensive picture of what Ukraine is facing these days, the good and the bad. We discuss Ukraine's problems with ballistic missile defense, then move to the front where Ukraine is taking back the advantage in Donetsk around Lyman. And finally a word about a major breakthrough in Ukraine's ability to combat Russia's fiber optic drones.
This podcast was recorded on August 26.
About Giorgio Provinciali
Giorgio Provinciali, War Correspondent, writes from the trenches of democracy in Ukraine. Engineer, journalist, war reporter. Medium writer since November 2023.
Read more from Giorgio:
https://medium.com/@giorgioprovinciali
To connect and message with Mark on LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mcnamee-58950910
To learn more, visit:
https://ubn.network/
Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/
If you found this episode valuable, follow the podcast and share it with someone who wants to better understand the war in Ukraine.
27 Aug 2026
Can Putin Mobilize Russia Again Without Destabilizing His Regime? — Professor Jeremy Morris on Russia’s Breaking Point
For years, Vladimir Putin has managed to insulate much of Russian society from the direct costs of the war in Ukraine. Now that this deal is breaking down, what happens if Russia conducts a major mobilization on top of it all?
I spoke with Professor Jeremy Morris, an expert on Russian society and everyday politics, about the growing pressures beneath the apparent stability of Putin’s Russia.
Drawing on his recent Jacobin article, Russia’s Authoritarian Neoliberalism Reaches Its Limits, Morris argues that Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy and economic infrastructure, growing war fatigue, labor shortages, and the increasing difficulty of recruiting soldiers through enormous financial incentives are beginning to erode the sense of normality that has helped sustain the war.
Morris explains how economic pressure, inequality, and forced mobilization could interact to produce something much harder for the Kremlin to control.
The discussion also goes deeper into the structure of Putin’s political system, including how ordinary Russians actually experience the war and where the limits of social endurance may ultimately lie.
Further reading:
- Russia’s Authoritarian Neoliberalism Reaches Its Limits — Read the Jacobin article here: https://jacobin.com/2026/08/russia-ukraine-war-neoliberalism-putin?
Everyday Politics in Russia: From Resentment to Resistance — View the book at Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/everyday-politics-in-russia-9781350509344/
About Professor Jeremy Morris
Jeremy Morris is Professor of Global Studies at Aarhus University and a specialist in Russian society, political anthropology, and the lived experience of post-Soviet transformation. His latest book is Everyday Politics in Russia: From Resentment to Resistance (Bloomsbury, 2025).
To connect and message with Mark on LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mcnamee-58950910
To learn more, visit:
https://ubn.network/
Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/
If you found this episode valuable, follow the podcast and share it with someone who wants to better understand the war in Ukraine.
Who has been a guest on History in the Making: The War in Ukraine
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Natalka Cmoc
Philip Breedlove
Arsen Zhumadilov
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
35
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact History in the Making: The War in Ukraine
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
