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Martin Fornusek

Reporter

Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

m.fornusek@kyivindependent.com
For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

Europe

Germany's Kremlin-friendly AfD eyes historic election win

by Martin Fornusek
Germany could get its first far-right state government since World War II — and Ukraine has reasons to follow it closely. The Alternative for Germany's (AfD) potential victory in Saxony-Anhalt's election on Sept. 6 will not only send a chilling signal to the federal state's 39,000 Ukrainians but also shake the mainstream parties' efforts to keep the Moscow-friendly party out of power. Polling at 41%, the AfD's local branch — classified by the German security service as "confirmed far-right ext
Explaining Ukraine

Ivan Mazepa — Ukraine's hero, Russia's devil

by Martin Fornusek
'From Bohdan Khmelnytsky to Ivan Mazepa, there were no hetmans.' This old, hyperbolic Ukrainian saying shows just how large Mazepa looms in the region's history. A man of many worlds, the Orthodox nobleman born near Kyiv climbed from the Polish royal court and studies in Western Europe to become hetman — a military and political leader of the Ukrainian Cossack Hetmanate, a state that once spanned much of central and eastern Ukraine — and a trusted ally of Russian Tsar Peter I. When he ultimat

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