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Mykhailo Bno-Airian, Vice President of Global Affairs at MHP, joins Adam Goodman at Ballard Studios in Washington DC for a conversation about one of the most overlooked dimensions of the war in Ukraine: its economy. A former diplomat, energy executive, and governor of the Kyiv region, Bno-Airian brings a uniquely layered perspective to the question of how a country keeps itself working, and working at a world-class level, while under sustained military assault. MHP, founded by Yuriy Kosyuk, operates across roughly 350,000 hectares, employs more than 30,000 people, and has grown into the number one poultry producer in Europe, exporting to more than 70 countries.

Bno-Airian describes the daily rhythm of life in Ukraine with striking plainness: bombings through the night, families emerging from shelters in the morning and walking their children to school. He argues that the true front line of the war is not only military but entrepreneurial, with Ukrainian business owners rebuilding destroyed facilities the very next day and refusing to stop. MHP's continued operations in rural communities, he explains, are critical not just to food exports but to preserving the tax base, social infrastructure, and human presence in areas that would otherwise empty out.

The conversation turns to global strategy, with Bno-Airian pressing the case that Ukraine is being discussed without Ukrainians at the table. He recounts MHP becoming the first Ukrainian agricultural company to join the World Economic Forum at Davos, his meeting with the WTO Director General on eliminating non-tariff barriers to agricultural trade, and his argument to decision makers in both Washington and Brussels that Ukraine should be seen as an opportunity, not a competitor. He draws a direct parallel to U.S. support for Israel and South Korea, suggesting a similar industrial partnership model could define the postwar relationship between the United States and Ukraine.

Adam Goodman closes by framing the episode's core theme: that beneath every geopolitical calculation is a human story, and that a Ukrainian family's hopes for safety, prosperity, and freedom look a great deal like those of any American family.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:05 How Ukraine Keeps Going
2:33 Fighting on Every Front
3:16 What MHP Does and Who Built It
4:43 Why Continued Operations Matter
6:01 The Entrepreneurial Spirit in Wartime
7:02 Ukraine's Voice at Davos and the WEF
8:52 The Strategy Washington Is Missing
10:36 WTO and Non-Tariff Trade Barriers
12:17 The Case for U.S.-Ukraine Economic Partnership
14:12 A Documentary About Ukrainian Resilience
15:25 Closing Thoughts

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