Interview, Podcast
War hoarse: is Zelensky being heard?
The EconomistZelensky, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Ore Ogunbiyi, Vicente Maldonado, Caitlin Talbot, Halen Michael Seaman, Gabe Poirot
- Volodymyr Zelensky anticipates Donald Trump will claim to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, though analysts view this timeline as unrealistic and expect the actual conflict to be significantly more difficult; Zelensky also forecasts minimal direct communication with the U.S. administration and expects no immediate ability to negotiate with Vladimir Putin due to a history of broken deals.
- The outlook for the next 6 to 12 months indicates a bleak front line situation where Ukraine faces a ruthless Russian war machine with manpower advantages, potentially leading to a slow retreat, while morale at home and on the battlefield is reported to be under pressure with rising dissent and changing polling figures for Zelensky.
- Ukraine's strategic plans involve pursuing NATO membership or, alternatively, building a "NATO by Ukraine" by doubling its army to the size of Russia's, a move contingent on securing U.S. security guarantees; however, the financial sustainability of this doubled force and the availability of necessary weapon systems from the U.S. remain uncertain.
- Significant risks include the possibility of manipulated deals excluding Ukraine, the likelihood of Russia unilaterally influencing outcomes if left alone with the U.S., and the difficulty of challenging any agreement that falls short of Zelensky's needs without a primary security guarantee plan.
- In the Ghanaian fish farming sector, the outlook highlights high upfront costs, with 70% of Trupper Farms' regular spend allocated to food, while new entrants face barriers such as a six-month wait for tilapia to reach harvest size and a lack of government support for land permits and research.
- Funding challenges persist as Chopper Farms raised $10 million for equipment, a figure experts describe as insufficient, with individual fishermen struggling to raise even a fraction of necessary startup capital, though successful industry growth could radically improve regional food security and create jobs.
- TikTok is predicted to fundamentally alter religious practices by shifting Gen Z audiences from established churches to online ministries, making faith less formal and enabling anyone with internet access to preach, while simultaneously incentivizing content that provokes audiences for views.
- Risks associated with religious content on TikTok include the amplification of division and political controversy, the spread of religious disinformation such as AI-generated hate speech and deepfakes, and a trend of people defecting to New Age spirituality due to the surge of self-proclaimed authorities.
- The overall prediction for the platform suggests that its motivating nature transforms passive users into aggressive defenders of their beliefs, creating a "loudest pulpit yet" that splinters belief systems while offering the potential for faith to become a particularly powerful force for mobilization.