In this episode of Lawyering Peace, Dr. Paul R. Williams speaks with Dr. Marieke de Hoon about the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and the long road to accountability for the 298 civilians murdered on July 17, 2014.

Dr. de Hoon is Professor of International Criminal Justice at the University of Amsterdam and Director of PILPGs Netherlands Office. She has worked closely on legal analysis connected to MH17 and has supported families seeking justice and clarity over more than a decade.

The conversation traces how multiple legal pathways have built a record of accountability, including the Joint Investigation Team, the Dutch criminal trial and convictions issued in November 2022, inter state proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights, and the aviation law track through ICAO, including the ongoing appeal at the International Court of Justice. The episode also explores why truth finding, victim recognition, and a durable historical record matter in an era of disinformation and continued aggression.

This episode of the Lawyering Peace Podcast’s Ukraine Series features an in depth conversation with Lidiia Kuzmenko, Protection Officer at the UNHCR Ukraine Country Office, on the profound human impact of internal displacement during Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. With more than five million people uprooted inside Ukraine, Lidiia offers expert insight into the daily realities facing displaced families, the legal and administrative barriers they encounter, and the practical meaning of “protection” in UNHCR’s mandate. She discusses challenges related to documentation, housing, livelihoods, and access to services, as well as Ukraine’s evolving policy framework and emerging innovations in supporting IDPs. The episode explores the conditions required for safe and voluntary return, the resilience of displaced communities, and the long term reforms needed to ensure durable solutions. Above all, Lidiia reminds listeners that every statistic reflects an individual story of loss, strength, and determination to rebuild.

This episode of the Lawyering Peace podcast focuses on one of the most crucial pillars of peace building in Ukraine: gender equality and the central role of women in shaping a just and durable peace.

Dr. Paul R. Williams speaks with Dr. Khrystyna Kit, chairwoman of the Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association JurFem and expert adviser to the Prosecutor General’s Office on conflict related sexual violence. Drawing on more than fifteen years of legal practice and advocacy, Dr. Kit explains how JurFem promotes gender sensitive legal reform, advances survivor centered approaches to justice, and works with judges, prosecutors, police, and lawmakers to ensure that responses to gender based and conflict related sexual violence reflect the needs and agency of survivors.

Together Khrystyna and Paul explore why women’s participation in decision making is a precondition for sustainable peace, not a symbolic add on. The conversation examines the systemic underrepresentation of women in negotiation and security spaces, the evolution of Ukraine’s National Action Plans under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, and the risks of pursuing a quick peace that sidelines accountability, reparations, and human rights. Dr. Kit outlines how peace processes can be redesigned to include women’s rights organizations, survivors, community leaders, and Ukrainians abroad, and why solidarity between Ukrainian civil society and international partners is essential for securing survivor centered justice and preventing a return to violence.

Can an investment fund become a cornerstone of peace?

In this episode of Lawyering Peace, Dr. Paul R. Williams speaks with Henry Scott, a partner at Milbank and a leading authority on international project finance, about the United States Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, a first of its kind vehicle jointly launched by Washington and Kyiv.

Henry explains how this groundbreaking framework blends in-kind equity, strategic finance, and critical minerals access to drive Ukraine’s recovery. The conversation unpacks the Fund’s hybrid capital model, the role of the US International Development Finance Corporation, safeguards for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and the agreement’s potential to become a global template for development partnerships.

🎧 A timely deep dive into how law, finance, and political will can align to rebuild a nation and why this agreement could reshape the way post conflict reconstruction is funded.

What happens when a nuclear power plant becomes a battlefield?

In this episode of Lawyering Peace, Dr. Paul R. Williams speaks with Dr. Dmytro Koval — Co-Executive Director of Truth Hounds and Associate Professor of International Law at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy — about the weaponization of Ukrainian nuclear infrastructure in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Drawing on Truth Hounds’ groundbreaking report “In a Nuclear Prison”, Dmytro unpacks how the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — the largest nuclear facility in Europe — has become a site of coercion, forced collaboration, and state-sponsored impunity. The episode explores the blurred lines between civilian and military actors, the role of Rosatom, and why international law must evolve to confront “nuclear terrorism by proxy.”

🎧 A sobering, urgent conversation on legal accountability, nuclear safety, and the need for a 21st-century Geneva Convention for nuclear infrastructure.

What happens when the battlefield moves online?

In this episode of Lawyering Peace, Dr. Paul R. Williams speaks with Dr. Anna Mysyshyn, a Ukrainian legal scholar and expert in AI ethics, cybersecurity, and digital governance. As the Founder of the Institute of Innovative Governance, Anna has helped shape Ukraine’s legal and strategic response to one of the most digitally complex wars in modern history.

Together, they explore the intersection of emerging technologies and armed conflict — from AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes to cyberattacks targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Anna unpacks the legal, ethical, and operational challenges posed by these threats and how Ukraine is adapting through regulation, digital resilience, and international cooperation.

🎧 Join us for a vital conversation about truth, technology, and law in the era of algorithmic warfare.

What does true accountability look like in the face of unprovoked aggression?

In this episode of Lawyering Peace, Dr. Paul R. Williams sits down with Dr. Anton Korynevych, Director of the Department of International Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and one of the key legal architects of the proposed Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

Together, they explore the groundbreaking legal and diplomatic efforts underway to establish a new international judicial body capable of prosecuting Russia’s leadership for the crime of aggression — from the choice of model and jurisdiction to the broader international implications for law and justice.

Anton shares his front-line perspective on how this tribunal complements existing mechanisms like the ICC and the ICJ, why it matters beyond Ukraine, and what it signals to complicit states and the world at large.

🎧 Join us for a deep dive into legal innovation, geopolitical accountability, and Ukraine’s path to justice.

What does it take to build lasting peace — and secure it?

What kind of security guarantees can truly deter renewed aggression?

In this episode of Lawyering Peace, Dr. Paul R. Williams is joined by Lesia Ogryzko, Director of the Sahaidachnyi Security Center, and Julian Braithwaite, former UK Ambassador to the UN and WTO, to unpack what a post-war security framework for Ukraine could and should look like.

Together, they explore how to negotiate credible security commitments that reflect the lessons of past failures — while embracing future-oriented strategies for deterrence, resilience, and international coordination.

From the role of the EU, US, and NATO, to the engagement of global players like China, India, and Brazil, the conversation examines how a pluralistic, robust security architecture can emerge from peace talks. The episode also confronts hard realities, including Russia’s continued threats and the challenges of military demilitarization demands.

🎧 Tune in for an expert dialogue on peace, power, and post-war security strategy.