PKK lays down arms/voluntarily disbands; Ukraine’s Resilience in the Face of War; Disorder joins Evergreen
Donate to Ukraine Charities that work on PTSD and our RUSI live event tomorrow
FIRSTLY, PLS COME TO OUR LIVE SHOW. OPEN TO ALL DISORDER LISTENERS:
TOMORROW Wednesday MAY 14, 17:30 AT RUSI.
You can sign up here: https://my.rusi.org/events/disorder-podcast-live-ordering-the-global-financial-disorder.html
Next, Great news… we have finally joined the Evergreen Podcast network… and you can see DISORDER front and centre on their homepage:
And check out the New and Trending:
https://evergreenpodcasts.com/#channel-new-trending
You know either a) we are living through an even more disorderly era than I had realized or b) we are doing something right when we are able to be mentioned in the same breathe as pods about a Craigslist killer and a BrideChilla…
Speaking of the degree of Disordered times we are going through,
I never thought I’d live to see the day the PKK was laying down its arms… but it does give me an opportunity to tell you a touch more about being kidnapped and hopefully teaser more content on this to come:
Next, if you need some background on the PKK here is from the FP newsletter on the developments (you can subscribe to that here if you wish):
Laying Down Arms
Kurdish men hold up a flag with a picture of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan during Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on March 21, 2015.Ulas Tosun/Getty Images
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Monday that it will disband and stop its armed struggle against the Turkish state, ending one of the region’s longest insurgencies. Analysts say that the move could improve the country’s political and economic stability while also easing tensions in neighboring Iraq and Syria, which have large Kurdish presences.
The PKK launched its decades-long insurgency in 1984 with the intention of creating an independent Kurdish state; Kurds make up roughly 15 percent to 20 percent of Turkey’s population. However, over the years, the group’s goals have shifted to instead seek greater Kurdish rights and establish limited autonomy in the country’s southeastern region.
Yet the conflict remained deadly. PKK attacks on military and civilian targets as well as Turkish military assaults on militants and their communities have killed more than 40,000 people. Past peace efforts, including negotiations in 1993 and 2015, only sparked more fighting. Many Western allies of Turkey—including the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States—classify the PKK as a terrorist group.
In February, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan had called on the group to disband, saying that the PKK had outlived its initial purpose and could now make better progress via political avenues. The group appeared to echo that sentiment on Monday. “The PKK struggle has broken the policy of denial and annihilation of our people and brought the Kurdish issue to a point of solving it through democratic politics,” it said, adding that Ocalan would manage the process of disarmament.
According to a PKK official who spoke to Reuters, all military operations will cease “immediately”; weapons handovers will be contingent on Ankara’s response, including its approach to such issues as the fate of PKK fighters and leaders as well as Kurdish rights in the country.
Ending the pro-Kurdish insurgency marks a major win for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Turkish officials were quick to celebrate the historic decision. This is a “significant step towards the goal of a terror-free Turkey,” Erdogan’s ruling party said, with party spokesperson Omer Celik adding on X that “[i]f terrorism is completely eradicated, it will open the door to a new era.”
The PKK’s decision could also calm political pressures in Iraq and Syria. Following Ocalan’s call in February, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) signed an agreement with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to secure Syrian Kurds’ rights and integrate the SDF into state institutions.
However, it is unclear if the PKK’s decision will affect other Kurdish groups. The People’s Defense Units, another pro-Kurdish militia in Syria, has previously said that Ocalan’s demands do not apply to its operations.
“What’s clear is the Kurdish question in Syria cannot be addressed through the same lens as Turkey’s conflict with the PKK,” Mashuq Kurt and Bilal Ata Aktas argued in Foreign Policy last month.
NOW TO Today’s EPISODE:
In Trump’s first 100 days he has disordered almost everything: from freedom of speech on campus to global trade to affairs of war and peace. And yet, despite his threats to abandon Ukraine, and actual denials of the provision of certain forms of intelligence and anti-aircraft equipment, the frontlines have largely held. In fact, it now appears that Trump lacks the ability to force Ukraine to make concessions that it doesn’t want to make, namely over Crimea. So, is there more Order and hope to be found in Ukraine than is immediately apparent?
To find out, I was joined by Mark McNamee.
(Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here; or on Spotify here)
Mark moved to Kyiv in October 2023 in order to start the Ukraine Business News (UBN) Network, with the mission to aid foreign investors in navigating the business environment of Ukraine and drive Ukraine’s economic recovery and reconstruction. He is also host of the podcast "History in the Making: The War in Ukraine”.
Mark and Jason discuss: the current state of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, with a particular focus on the resilience of Ukraine's economy, its innovative use of drone technology and how Ukraine could become a global leader in defense technology going forward.
Plus: the implications of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal as truly game changing (a subject about which he and I strongly disagreed and debated), the role of Europe in supporting Ukraine, and whether Ukraine's potential EU membership can offset lack of potential for it to become a NATO member. And as they look to Order the Disorder, Mark proposes the creation of a European Defense Tech Fund to support Ukraine's recovery and defense capabilities.
(Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts here; or on Spotify here)
Pls become a paid substack member to support our work -
BACKGROUND ON TOPICS COVERED IN THE POD:
Read this new report, just published by international human rights foundation Global Rights Compliance, exposing Russia’s disinformation campaign - https://globalrightscompliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Manufacturing-Impunity.pdf
Read more about the minerals deal https://www.politico.eu/article/us-donald-trump-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-parliament-minerals-deal-approved/
Ukraine Business News -
https://ubn.news
UBN Network -
https://ubn.network/
Podcast History in the Making: The War in Ukraine -
FOR THOSE FEELING CHARITABLE CONSIDER DONATING TO EITHER OF THE BELOW CAUSES HELPING UKRAINIAN VETERANS WITH PTSD:
The Ukrainian Action Heroes Rehabilitation Program teaches Ukrainian veterans with PTSD to ski and provides psychological support: You can support their work with Ukrainian veterans at:
Ukrainian Action is a British charity and US non-profit engaged in providing emergency support and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as recovery and reconstruction projects.
Last winter, we founded the Ukrainian Action Heroes Rehabilitation Program to teach skiing and snowboarding to Ukrainian war veterans and their families suffering from mental trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by active combat in war.
Through March 2025 the program has welcomed 76 participants, including teaching adaptive skiing for veterans with amputations.
You can support our work with Ukrainian veterans via our website:
www.UkrainianAction.com
The UA Heroes program, which is supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Veteran Affairs and the Ukrainian Ski Federation, supports veterans and their families through recreational and nature-based therapy, helping restore emotional well-being, improve physical health, and facilitate reintegration into civilian life. The primary goal is to help veterans and their families overcome stress and psychological trauma through participation in a variety of therapeutic, physical, and recreational activities, including learning to ski or snowboard, and summer mountain activities such as hiking. The program also includes daily group and individual therapy sessions with experienced psychologists, and emphasizes reconnecting with nature in the scenic and serene Carpathian Mountains to find inner resources for recovery.
https://www.ukrainianaction.com/recovery/ukrainian-action-heroes
AND A FIRST PERSON MISSIVE FROM THE UBN FOUNDER
Andrew Pryma
UBN Founder
UBN Network Co-Founder
www.ubn.news
Kyiv, Ukraine
We collect some money for my uncle who is at the frontline defending our land.
Here is the link to insert with the banner: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=786ECXYPHESAJ
However, the banner also has a QR code for people to scan.
Here is the text for the donation. Make it shorter if you wish.
“ Dear Friends, Let's help our heroes on the front lines from military unit A7307 replace their damaged cars.
The Ukraine Business News (UBN) and its friends and partners have launched an initiative to collect $9000 to buy a 4X4 pickup truck. The A7307 unit is holding our positions in the Zaporizhzhia direction.
Anatoliy is a Ukrainian hero who has been fighting the Russians since 2022 and has asked for help to replace his damaged car. His car was targeted by a Russian drone, which was used to bring ammunition to the trenches and evacuate the wounded brothers. Each person who donates will receive a photo from Anatoliy of the purchased car and the unit that received it.
Please help if you can. Every donation makes a difference.
