Krynytsya (The Well), your wellspring for Ukraine and Ukrainians

Maksym Isakov and his family emigrated to the U.S. from Vinnitsya, Ukraine, in 2022 shortly after the country was invaded by Russia. He emigrated with his family to Maine, where he had previously spent some time as a student and decided to start a local coffee roasting business Kavka Coffee. John Ostrand, the owner of Green Tree Coffee & Tea in nearby Lincolnville acted as a mentor and helped him launch the business. Today, Kavka is a very successful company with clients all over the U.S. Mr. Ksakov talks about the differences between coffee culture in Ukraine and the U.S. He also details how some of the profits from his business are sent to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes during the war. https://kavkacoffee.co/blogs/news/ukrainian-refugee-starts-coffee-business-in-camden https://dailycoffeenews.com/2023/04/17/refugee-roasted-kavka-coffee-sends-support-from-maine-to-ukraine/

Michael Bohnert is an engineer and a defense researcher with RAND, a U.S. non-profit global policy think tank. Mr. Bohnert reviews what it will take for Ukraine to maintain its defenses against Russia in the current war. He also considers what the vulnerabilities are for both countries. And, he examines Ukraine's drone strikes against Russia's energy infrastructure and their potential impact on the country's economy. https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/10/ukraines-drone-inflicted-oil-sanctions-will-impact.html https://www.rand.org/about/people/b/bohnert_michael.html

Ukrainian Canadian Andy Semotiuk is a community activist, writer, immigration attorney and observer of Ukraine affairs. He has been very active in the Ukrainian diaspora in North America since his college student days in the 1970's. At the current time, Mr. Semotiuk serves as an immigration attorney both in the U.S. and Canada. In this interview, he talks about his career and offers insights on both the Canadian and U.S. Ukrainian diaspora. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andysemotiuk/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyjsemotiuk/ https://pacelawfirm.com/people/andy-semotiuk/

Ukrainian American Christina Pitio is a clinical psychology Master's Degree student at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. Her graduate thesis is entitled: "The Mental and Emotional Effects of the Ukraine War on the Ukrainian-American Diaspora". In this study, Ms. Pitio hopes to document the emotional and psychologyical impact of the Russian invasion against Ukraine on the Ukrainian American community. You can indicate your interest in participating in this study by filling out this questionnaire. https://tccolumbia.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0VOHTByymokjfBs And, you can view Christina Pitio's recent presentation about the study for the Ukrainian History and Education Center here. https://youtu.be/Ja6L_jXRrGw?si=-8wCIvLFublGuEop

Former U.S. ambassador to Estonia George Kent recently completed a 4,427 mile cross-country cycling fundraiser to support Ukrainian army units on the front lines of the Russian invasion and raise awareness about Ukraine. This three-month trip began in Portland, Oregon and ended in Washington, D.C. He made this trip together with his wife Velida Kitaina, who is a Crimean Tatar and a Ukrainian American, and son George. As he cycled across the country, the former ambassador talked with many everyday Americans about the tragic situation in Ukraine and generally received a very positive response. He did this trip with the support of NAFO (the North Atlantic Fella Organization), an internet meme and social media movement dedicated to countering Russian propaganda and disinformation about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The group also raises funds for the Army of Ukraine. Mr. Kent discusses the trip and its success at raising $100,000 for Ukraine. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4035792-george-kent-former-us-ambassador.html https://themercury.com/features/retired-ambassador-cycles-across-america-for-ukraine-war-efforts/article_c198da29-ed15-4e5e-ab5e-5e9ba2ca006e.html

Peter Dickinson has had a long career in various roles as a Ukraine affairs analyst. He is currently the Editor for the Atlantic Council's UkraineAlert blog and Chief Editor of Business Ukraine magazine. In this interview, Mr. Dickinson offers his insights about the current situation in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. He looks at the extreme Russification policy and other difficult conditions there. He also talks about the Ukrainian resistance movement and whether Ukraine's President Volodmyr Zelenskyy is willing to cede these territories to Russia. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-dickinson-37193830/

Stefan Korshak is the senior defense correspondent for the English-language newspaper the Kyiv Post. In this podcast interview, he talks about the strengths and weaknesses of Ukraine's air defense. He also suggests how to improve it in light of recent increased daily Russian bombardment. There is also discussion of recent Russian efforts to probe NATO defenses. Mr. Korshak briefly mentions his new book, "The Siege of Mariupol", which he co-authored with Christopher Lawrence. It will be published in November by Waterstones. https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-siege-of-mariupol/christopher-a-lawrence/stefan-korshak/9781399034203 https://www.kyivpost.com/authors/11