By Independent News Roundup
This interview features Dr. Ivan Katchanovski, a Ukrainian-Canadian academic at the University of Ottawa, in conversation with Lyanna Petrova on the Ukraine war, peace negotiations, Zelensky’s leadership, Western involvement, and forced mobilization inside Ukraine.
The discussion argues that the public Western narrative about the war is misleading, and that Ukraine has long been in a losing position militarily despite extensive Western military, intelligence, and financial support. Katchanovski contends that this support has prolonged the conflict rather than created a path to victory.
A central theme is that Zelensky’s political interests are not the same as Ukraine’s national interests. Katchanovski argues that Zelensky benefits personally from the continuation of the war because it allows him to remain in power, retain Western backing, and avoid the risks he could face if the war ended, including political backlash, legal exposure, or threats from nationalist and far-right factions.
The interview also focuses heavily on the claim that many Ukrainians would prefer a negotiated peace, but that genuine public opinion is difficult to measure because, according to Katchanovski, dissent is restricted, media is tightly controlled, and expressing support for territorial compromise or peace can bring legal or social consequences. He says this makes current polling unreliable.
Another major point is the argument that the war should be understood not only as a Russia-Ukraine war, but also as a continuation of the Donbas civil conflict that began in 2014, with foreign intervention layered on top. Katchanovski says that in Donbas, especially before the full-scale war, there was significant support for separatism, autonomy, or joining Russia, and that these realities are ignored in Western coverage.
The interview further claims that peace opportunities were missed, especially in the March 2022 Istanbul talks, which Katchanovski says could have ended the war early and saved many lives. He argues those efforts were derailed by Western pressure, particularly from the US and UK, and that similar outside pressure continues today from European states that prefer to keep Russia weakened through a proxy war.
A substantial portion of the conversation deals with trust and diplomacy. Katchanovski argues that neither side sees international agreements as reliably enforceable, citing Minsk, NATO expansion disputes, and broader examples of Western foreign policy. From this perspective, he suggests that any future peace deal would be fragile, possibly becoming only a frozen conflict rather than a real settlement.
The final section of the transcript is devoted to forced mobilization in Ukraine. Katchanovski alleges that conscription is often coercive, that many men are hiding to avoid being drafted, and that desertion is widespread. He shares personal anecdotes about neighbors and acquaintances from western Ukraine who were allegedly forcibly mobilized, killed, or mistreated. He argues that these practices, and the broader human cost of the war, are being largely ignored by Western governments and media.
Main themes in the transcript
The war is portrayed as unwinnable for Ukraine under current conditions.
Western governments are accused of prolonging the conflict for geopolitical reasons.
Zelensky is portrayed as politically dependent on the war continuing.
Public support for the war inside Ukraine is described as uncertain and suppressed.
Peace negotiations are presented as repeatedly undermined.
Forced mobilization, desertion, and internal repression are presented as major but underreported realities.
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