Information War

Will democracy survive another Trump presidency? How do we navigate the post-truth era? In this episode, Liz Wahl speaks with Vlad Vexler, a Political Philosopher whose YouTube commentaries on Russian politics and Western democracy have garnered over 30 million views. Born in Soviet Moscow and emigrating to the West at age 9, Vlad brings a unique perspective shaped by his upbringing and a debilitating neurological condition he has lived with since his time as a research student at Oxford. They explore America's drift toward authoritarianism, the radicalization of young men by the populist right, Russian media's response to Trump, and the rise of oligarchy in the United States.

A former member of Ukrainian Parliament and expert in energy security discusses how Russia is using food as a weapon. Ukraine grows enough food to feed 400 million people worldwide. Because of the war, crops won’t be planted and Russia has disrupted supply chains, possibly setting the conditions for a global food crisis. Liz and Jessikka speak to former member of Ukrainian Parliament, Ukrainian energy expert and environmental activist Nataliya Katser-Buchkovska about the war’s significance in the global battle between democracies and autocracies.

Liz and Jessikka speak to Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk about the Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalists of Ukraine that continue to risk their lives despite being targeted for reporting the truth. As Ukraine officials say that Russia is forcibly deporting people from Mariupol and other areas in the country’s eastern region, they discuss how Russia is increasingly resembling Nazi-like behavior as it weaponizes the word Nazi to justify its war of aggression - from filtration camps to its rhetoric and accounts of a range of war crimes targeting civilians, women, and children. Also, Tokariuk uncovers how Russian disinformation infiltrates Western media sources and attempts underway to influence future elections in democracies.

Liz and Jessikka speak to a renowned former Finnish intelligence Colonel about the KGB-style psychological tactics of Russia's information warfare currently used against Ukraine and the West. They discuss how culture and language differences can help explain why Russia and the West have completely different world views when it comes to democracy and truth. Martti J. Kari is a former intelligence Colonel in the Finnish Defense Forces and teaches at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Watch Kari's popular lecture on Russian strategic culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF9KretXqJw&t=193s For more on the harrowing stories of those that have become targets of Putin's information war, buy Jessikka's book Putin's Trolls: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TR5RZJH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_YPBRM9A4REN05YNTK0E5

Russia test-launches a new intercontinental missile that it says could carry nuclear warheads, sending a warning to the U.S. and Europe. Propagandists on Russian TV reacted by musing over such a weapon wiping out Western cities. Meanwhile, Estonia’s Parliament accuses Russia of genocide and Russia sanctions Canadian journalists and politicians. Liz and Jessikka speak with Canadian journalist Marcus Kolga about being among those newly sanctioned by Russia and the Kremlin’s information war as Putin grows isolated and reckless.

As President Biden calls Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a genocide, Russia repeats the lies and distortions that have become signature of its information war - calling the atrocities “fake” and “staged” and ordinary Ukrainian citizens "nazis." Putin’s lies and his systematic method of spreading them online, on television and through various proxies, has upended the lives of people daring to tell truths the autocrat wants to suppress. Finnish author and journalist Jessikka Aro uncovers the pro-Democracy targets of Putin's trolls and discusses Finland fast-tracking NATO membership. For more on the harrowing stories of those that have become targets of Putin's information war, buy Jessikka's book Putin's Trolls: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TR5RZJH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_YPBRM9A4REN05YNTK0E5

As civilians and journalists recount stories and evidence of war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha - systematic, execution-style killing of civilians and mass graves, Russia has responded with denials and lies. The Russian Foreign Ministry has called the atrocities “staged” and claimed the bodies were “fake dead bodies.” Liz and Jessikka discuss Russia’s war crimes and the conspiracy theories used to deny the atrocities with Jakub Kalensky, a former journalist and expert on Russian hybrid warfare. Beyond Ukraine’s borders, they discuss alarming statistics that shed light on how Western audiences are persuaded by Russian propaganda.

Liz speaks with Alex Cadier, UK Managing Director of NewsGaurd, an organization that digitally combs the internet to rate news and websites. Their new report sheds light on the social media app Tiktok, and how it helps disinformation on the war in Ukraine go viral. They cover how the video platform can serve to undermine democracy and COVID vaccines, and new tools to combat the multi-billion dollar disinfo industry. How to Install Newsguard to help combat disinformation and promote reliable sources: https://www.newsguardtech.com/how-it-works/

In their new podcast, "Information War," Liz Wahl and Jessikka Aro speak with Artem Velichko, a Ukrainian editor at InformNapalm English. InformNapalm is a volunteer open source intelligence community, founded by Ukrainian journalists in 2014 to counter disinformation and uncover the truth about Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. In today’s full scale war, Velichko discusses how the focus has shifted to full scale information warfare - providing intelligence to Ukrainians fighting the war on the ground. They also discuss InformNapalm's method to get the truth about the war out to Russians amid the Kremlin's "information iron curtain," and documenting war crimes for prosecution in the International Criminal Court at the Hague. Subscribe and listen to "Information War" with Liz Wahl and Jessikka Aro:  https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/information-war/id1615408918 

As Russia indiscriminately targets civilians in its invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech echoing Stalin. Violence expert and Yale Psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee interprets what the speech indicates about Putin’s psychological state, the risk of nuclear war, and the dangers of American media hosts spreading Russian disinformation.