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In this special and unusually candid episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, we speak to an anonymous American investor who has privately channelled close to half a million dollars into Ukrainian frontline units fighting Russia’s invasion.

At his request, this interview is audio-only and his voice has been altered.

Our guest explains what drove him, as a private citizen, to step far beyond conventional charity and into direct support for military units. Drawing on first-hand relationships with Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers, he outlines how crowdfunding, “angel investors”, and rapid private procurement have become decisive factors on the battlefield. From drones and electronic warfare to logistics and innovation, he describes how Ukrainian units increasingly function like start-ups, adapting faster than traditional military supply chains ever could.

The conversation goes beyond hardware. We discuss Bucha and occupied territories, the moral calculus of inaction, and why he believes delays and half-measures translate directly into civilian suffering. He addresses the legal and ethical objections often raised in the West, arguing that they collapse when confronted with mass atrocities and imperial aggression.

The episode also tackles the information war. Our guest explains how Russian propaganda exploits religious, political and cultural divisions in the United States and Europe, and why Ukraine, in his view, represents a clearer moral line than many past conflicts.

He speaks openly about faith, freedom, responsibility, and why he believes Ukraine’s fight is inseparable from the future of democracy in the West.

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In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, we speak with Jakub Kalenský, one of Europe’s leading experts on disinformation, hybrid threats, and information warfare.

Jakub is Deputy Director at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki and a former senior figure behind the EU’s flagship EUvsDisinfo initiative. For over a decade, he has worked at the sharp end of efforts to expose and counter authoritarian influence operations, particularly those originating from the Kremlin.

We explore how modern disinformation campaigns actually work, why repetition and scale matter more than persuasive narratives, and why democracies remain structurally vulnerable in the information space. Jakub lays out his “four lines of defence” for countering disinformation, from detection and data collection to deterrence and punishment, and explains why Western governments consistently underinvest in this fight.

The conversation also examines how artificial intelligence is accelerating information warfare, enabling mass content production, micro-targeting, and more sophisticated language use — while also offering potential defensive tools for democracies. We discuss the role of social media platforms, the limits of free speech arguments, and whether the information space should be treated as critical national infrastructure.

Finally, we turn to values: democracy, freedom, and why Ukraine has become the defining frontline in the global struggle against authoritarianism — not just militarily, but informationally.

This is a wide-ranging, unsparing look at one of the most consequential and least understood battlefields of our time.

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In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, We are joined by Commander (Ret.) Lance McMillan, a former US Navy officer with more than 25 years of service and a regular contributor to independent US media on defence, security and global affairs.

Lance reflects on growing up across multiple countries during the Cold War, witnessing stark inequalities and contrasting political systems, and how those experiences shaped his instincts about power, authority and the role of the state. He discusses his father’s career in US intelligence, the realities of that world behind the myths, and how proximity to diplomacy and espionage influenced his worldview.

The conversation explores Ukraine’s theory of victory, the limits of military power, and why war termination theory suggests that negotiated settlements rarely emerge before true war-weariness sets in. Lance offers a frank assessment of Russia’s maximalist objectives, Ukraine’s strategic dilemma, and the security risks inherent in territorial compromise.

Attention then turns to the United States itself. Lance outlines his concerns about democratic backsliding, the erosion of institutional norms, and the growing influence of oligarchic and ideological power blocs. He examines voter suppression, political polarisation, and why trust in American democracy is weakening both at home and abroad.

The episode also looks at the transatlantic relationship, Europe’s move towards defence autonomy, and how democratic allies respond when US leadership becomes unpredictable. From Ukraine to Washington to Venezuela, this is a wide-ranging conversation about power, democracy and what happens when political systems begin to hollow themselves out.

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