I report on the war in Ukraine.
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Articles by Terrell Starr
The Reason Zelenskyy Will Never Give In to Trump
(Screenshot, AFP News Agency via YouTube) You can call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a lot of things, but you can’t call him a punk. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly tried to kill Zelenskyy at least a dozen times since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The ruler of one of the world‘s most powerful militaries is using all of its technological might—with help from China and North Korea—to pound Zelenskyy’s country into submission.
Terrell J Starr Official | Terrell Jermaine Starr | Substack
The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali
Trump Would Back Ukraine If Putin Was Black
I write this newsletter from Kyiv during airstrikes and power outages because I want to give you on-the-ground context behind my Ukraine analysis. I can only continue doing this if I get paid subscribers. I need 100 by the end of the weekend. Please help me reach that goal by becoming a paid subscriber. There’s only one reason Donald Trump isn’t supporting Ukrainians in their fight against Russia’s invasion: the race of their oppressor. Virtually all foreign affairs analysts miss this key detail.
Trump Would Back Ukraine If Putin Was Black
There’s only one reason Donald Trump isn’t supporting Ukrainians in their fight against Russia’s invasion: the race of their oppressor. Virtually all foreign affairs analysts miss this key detail. Both Trump and Vladimir Putin traffic in racism, Christian nationalism, xenophobia, sexism, exploitation, and authoritarian violence. Both are building societies to reflect their preferred supremacist hierarchies.
While Kyiv Burns, Trump Fails to Stop Putin’s War
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Iryna Zarutska Was Not A ‘White Woman’
Terrell J Starr Official is a reader-supported publication. To rsupport my work, becoming a fpaid subscriber. Donald Trump and his MAGA followers are outraged over Iryna Zarutska’s murder, but not because they cared about her as a vulnerable, Ukrainian refugee.
Charlie Kirk Was An Anti-Ukraine, Pro-Putin Apologist
Terrell J Starr Official is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
A Black Man’s Obituary For Charlie Kirk: Fuck Him
As a Black man, I find it deeply offensive to be asked to feel any modicum of sympathy for Charlie Kirk. He was the modern day Joseph Goebbels for Donald Trump, whose white supremacy Kirk made palatable for his millennial supporters. He was Rush Limbaugh in skinny jeans. A KKK youth recruiter without the hood and burning cross. His very public and brutal murder in Utah didn’t bring me joy; those images will be etched in his loved ones’ minds forever.
Why Progressives Should Support Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
I’m aiming to reach 200 paid subscribers this weekend—and I need your help to get there. This is my full-time job, and paid subscriptions are what keep this work going. Every day, I deliver original reporting, analysis, and quick insights from the ground here in Ukraine—coverage that not only informs but challenges you to think critically about this country through a progressive, Black lens rarely found in mainstream media. I care as deeply about Palestine as I do Ukraine.
Video of my Substack Live with Terrell J Starr on Ukraine, Trump's Validation of Kremlin Imperialism, and the EU
Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers.
European Leaders Join Zelenskyy So He Won’t Get Jumped In The Oval Office Again
This article is part of a series that I am writing in response to what I am dubbing the Alaska Distraction Opp that took place Friday. Please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. I am aiming to get 1000 paid subscribers by the end of the month. Help me reach that goal today! The last time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House, he found himself cornered—not by policy, but by performance.
How Can Europe Stop Trump From Screwing Ukraine?
This article is part of a series that I am writing in response to what I am dubbing the Alaska Distraction Ops that took place Friday. Please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. I am aiming to get 1000 paid subscribers by the end of the month. Help me reach that goal today! In the wake of the Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the geopolitical tremors continue to reverberate.
The Trump-Zelensky Meeting: How Trump Will Do Putin's Bidding
(Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/POOL/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Later today, a democratically elected leader fighting against an illegal occupation will be meeting an aging, corrupt pet of Putin.
Melania Trump Appeals to Putin’s Tender Heart for Children-Because Who Better?
This article is part of a series that I am writing in response to what I am dubbing the Alaska Distraction Opp that took place Friday. Please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. I am aiming to get 1000 paid subscribers by the end of the month.
Trump and Putin Legitimized Each Other’s Criminality In Alaska
Terrell J Starr Official is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. I’m trying to get 1000 paid subscribers by the end of August! Help me get there. Two criminals—one a many-times-convicted felon and the other an international fugitive—met on U.S. soil to legitimize their criminality. There is no other way to describe what happened in Alaska Friday afternoon.
Why I Risk My Life Telling Stories About Ukraine
Help me hit 900 paid subscribers this week—upgrade now to fuel my on-the-ground Ukraine reporting. What I love most about publishing this newsletter is not just telling stories—it’s sharing lives. Every person I interview leaves an imprint, and those relationships continue shaping the way I see the world long after the reporting ends. I don’t do conventional journalism.
Ukrainian Ex-POW Shows Azealia Banks (And Us) How To Be Good Humans
Less than 5% of my readers are currently paid subscribers. If just half of you upgraded to a paid membership, it would empower me to continue reporting from Ukraine and delivering fearless, independent journalism that cuts through the noise and reaches the heart of our shared humanity. This work exists because of you. Your support fuels every story, every dispatch, and every word that strives to illuminate, connect, and inform.
Black Americans And Ukrainians Have Much In Common
I had the pleasure of talking to today about Ukraine and why Black people much be engaged in foreign affairs discussions. We spent an hour breaking down why Trump’s white supremacist policies in the U.S. are in line with far-right leaders in Europe and, particularly, Putin. When Europeans move to the U.S., they are usually shielded from the racism that targets people of color. But, as Trump has shown, his hatred has no limits.
A Golden Age For Fascists: Trump, Putin and Netanyahu with Terrell Starr
I had a great conversation with about being morally consistent in our fight against oppression. As many of you, I am an unapologetic supporter Palestinian liberation, longtime supporter of Ukraine before it was popular and adversarial in my reporting to the authoritarianism of Donald Trump. As a progressive person, I think we should care about all suffering. Terrell J Starr Official is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Resisting Fascism At Home and Abroad: The Shared Struggle of Palestinians, Ukrainians, and Americans
Independent journalist and foreign policy commentator Terrell Jermaine Starr is a Black man from New York, currently in Eastern Ukraine, covering the resistance to Russia’s illegal occupation and invasion. He has also visited the West Bank and seen firsthand Israel’s dehumanizing occupation of Palestinians.
Trump Redirects 20,000 Anti-Drone Missiles From Ukraine to the Middle East
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News that the Trump administration redirected some 20,000 anti-drone missles intended for Ukraine to the Middle East. Russia launched a record 472 drones at Ukraine on June 1, so any absence of munitions to protect the skies creates more vulnerabilities for the Ukrainian military to work around. Iranian-made Shared drones costs between 20,000 to 50,000 USD.
Russia Is Attacking Ukraine With Missiles And Drones Right Now
This morning, people in Ukraine are waking up to another ballistic missile and drone attack. The explosions in the not-to-far-distance have become common sounds for people here in Ukraine. Reportedly, the airstrikes are targeting power plants and other infrastructure. In my very first voice note on Substack, I talk through why I think talk of Russian escalation in response to Ukraine’s drone attack deep inside of Russia is nonsense—all while explosions are heard in the background.
Terrell Jermaine Starr | Substack
I love talking about Ukraine and and Eastern European politics. This is where I provide political analysis about the happenings in this part of the world in a fun, voice and relatable way. Terrell J Starr Official @terrelljstarr @terrelljstarrofficial +2 Subscribe
A Letter To Ukrainians From Black America
I’m sorry, Ukraine. I’m sorry that White America elected a man who’ll embolden your genocidal neighbor to murder even more of your people and occupy more of your land. I’m sorry that the American white supremacy that has long terrorized my people will empower Russian supremacy to reign further terror on yours. I preface my letter with white America because we did not do this.
Bernie Sanders Will Die A Stubborn Old White Man
When I wrote my first article about Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2015, my white editors at a so-called progressive website tried to shut it down. It was an exhaustive reported piece about why he struggled to gain traction with Black voters he needed to win the Democratic primary in 2016, during his first presidential run. My editors said the piece needed more reporting, used faulty polling and needed more editing, which I obviously disagreed with.
10 Things You May Not Know About Amiri Baraka, Father Of The Black Arts Movement
CLOSE UPDATED: 3:30 p.m. ET, Oct. 7, 2024 Amiri Baraka died Jan. 9, 2014, at the age of 79 after battling an undisclosed illness. Indeed, the world has lost one of its greatest literary giants. While Baraka’s work is widely known and read, there may be a few things that many may not know about him. Baraka was born on Oct. 7, 1934, which makes Monday his 90th birthday. Below are 10 facts about the writer and activist. MORE: Amiri Baraka And His Impact On Black America 1.
This Reporter Is Uncovering Russia's Atrocities In Africa
Founder’s note: This is a podcast interview that is exclusive to Substack. I am posting all of my one-on-one interviews on this platform moving forward. Please don’t forget to become a paid subscriber to help support my weekly reporting. When Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his murderous regime aren’t committing genocide in Ukraine, they love blasting the West for its history of imperial and colonial abuses in the Global South. And, the thing is, they aren’t wrong.
How Ukrainian Journalists (And Me) Train to Cover the War
NOTE 2402 Foundation is hosting a two-day training on first aid in Kyiv June 29-30. If you’re around, sign up here. You’ll need to donate 1500 to 3000 UAH to support the training costs. It’s 100 percent worth it and a fraction of what you’d pay in the West. Katerina Sergatskova experience covering war came soon after Russia displaced her out of her childhood home in Simferopol during its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Like so many Ukrainian reporters, Sergatskova didn’t pursue war reporting.
Ukrainians and Palestinians are fighting occupation
First published at Black Diplomat. Terrell Starr speaks with two Ukrainians who support Palestine, humanitarian analyst Rita Adel and socialist historian Vladyslav Starodubtsev, about why they feel it is important for their countrymen and women to understand colonialism in other parts of the world. They talked about Ukrainian socialism, what progressives in the west do not get about Ukraine and NATO and why Ukrainians are not privileged because they are “white.”
Here's Every Black Heisman Trophy Winner In NCAA History
CLOSE UPDATED: 5:00 p.m. ET, April 24, 2024 Have you ever wondered how many Black Heisman trophy winners there are? Well, the NewsOne Team searched the web and couldn’t find a list. So we made one for you! And now, as of April 24, 2024, there are officially 39, thanks to Reggie Bush of the University of Southern California (USC) having his 2005 trophy reinstated following more than a decade of controversy.
Black Women Defending Democracy and Thoughts on Navalny's Death
Greetings, everyone. Happy to share with you my first podcast episode for Substack! This week, I was a guest on Andrea Chalupa’s Gaslit Nation podcast, where we discussed Alexei Navalny’s death and how we should all be reflecting on it. I told y’all I’d be writing a piece about this, but I think my thoughts on Gaslit Nation addressed a lot of things I was gonna write.
Why U.S. Media Don't Trust Palestinian Journalism
Terrell Jermaine Starr on set at 30 Rock with MSNBC’s Ali Velshi on January 7, 2023 in New York City. More than 80 reporters have been killed covering the war in Gaza—most of them Palestinian. This is a record-number of media workers losing their lives covering a conflict, but there doesn’t seem to be any alarms going off in western capitals over this high, ever-rising death toll. Major news networks aren’t leading with coverage challenging Israel to better ensure their safety.
Gaza Follows Joe Biden Into The Black Church
There’s nothing contradictory about politicians pandering to Black parishioners from their pastor’s pulpit. Democrats know we’re their most reliable electorate and Black pastoral leadership have long served as power brokers in our communities, a tradition dating back to slavery. If Democrats want to win, they need the Black church to get them across the finish line.
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Claudia Alves, Principal of Poulsbo Elementary School in Poulsbo, Washington, has been placed on a leave of absence while the school district investigates her use… Symeir Talley-Jasper, 4, walked out of the doors of his Brooklyn school and walked all the way home without one teacher or school employee noticing… AP To Zimmerman: Stop Using Our Photo Or Else! I guess George Zimmerman feels that since he can get away with killing an innocent 17-year-old teen walking down the street with a bag...
Young, Ukrainian, and black - a woman working out her identity in wartime
Editor’s Note from Tim: Every single issue of The Counteroffensive starts with a story about a person experiencing the news. We believe that empathy and autocracy are incompatible, which is why we are bringing a human-centered perspective to what’s happening in the war. Subscribe free or paid if you agree with our methods! In this vein, we are so proud to feature our friend Terrell’s story today. We are able to provide it to our readers free because of our paid subscribers.
Will the Dam Explosion in Ukraine Cause A Nuclear Disaster?
The short answer is, “probably not.” Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the Kherson region to slow Ukraine’s counteroffensive, but it is causing a potentially dangerous situation upstream at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. As there are no short-term risks, there is no need to compare this to the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. But there are some long-term concerns that nuclear power experts have raised, such as the levels of the cooling ponds at the plant.
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Sometimes workplace discrimination can cost taxpayers.
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If the reports are true, a new Black woman will soon join the cast of “Saturday Night Live!” According to the Jasmine Brand, the NBC… Sometimes workplace discrimination can cost taxpayers.
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Sometimes workplace discrimination can cost taxpayers.
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Let’s Not Forget The Blacks Who Built The U.S. Capitol It’s the 150th anniversary of the completion of the U.S. Capitol building dome, but what is hardly talked about is the fact that slaves helped… Woman Trapped In Workplace Bathroom For 8 Hours Chisels Way To Freedom Karen Perrin (pictured), who admits to being claustrophobic, found herself locked in her workplace bathroom for 8 hours, yet managed to chisel her way out… Fired BP Executive Claims She Was Canned Over Ethnic Hair, Dashikis A...
If Not Brittney Griner, Who Should US National Security Value?
Brittney Griner’s release from Russian captivity should have evoked universal sighs of relief across political ideologies, but it was immediately clear that that would not be the case. Soon after news broke of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) superstar’s exchange for Viktor Bout, the notorious criminal arms dealer who is dubbed the “Merchant of Death,” the intellectually lazy, culturally incompetent, and morally inconsistent critiques followed.
Executed At 14: George Stinney Is A Constant Reminder That The Death Penalty Must End
Get Up Erica Featured Video CLOSE UPDATED: 5:30 p.m. ET, June 16, 2022 Thursday marked the 78th year since George Junius Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy, became the youngest person ever executed in the United States in the 20th century. He died in the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections on June 16, 1944.
Executed At 14: George Stinney Is A Constant Reminder That The Death Penalty Must End
101.1 The Wiz Featured Video CLOSE UPDATED: 5:30 p.m. ET, June 16, 2022 Thursday marked the 78th year since George Junius Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy, became the youngest person ever executed in the United States in the 20th century. He died in the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections on June 16, 1944.
Diplomacy won't wash in Ukraine -- Kyiv should be given weapons to defend itself
The US is understandably hesitant to go to war, but past mistakes should not mean Vladimir Putin can bully and threaten with no consequence. Russian President Vladimir Putin (Image: Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik, Kremlin pool Pphoto via AP) Terrell Jermaine Starr is founder and host of the foreign policy podcast Black Diplomats and a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. There are some problems for which it’s hard to decide between the carrot and the stick.
Progressives Must Put Ukraine First, Not Repeat Russian Propaganda
There are some problems for which it’s hard to decide between the carrot and the stick. Or in the case of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine, sanctions, military aid, diplomacy, or a combination of the three. And that’s especially hard for progressives who are averse to the idea of the stick at all—especially when Washington is wielding it.
How the Climate Crisis is Heating Up Tensions in the Arctic
How the Climate Crisis is Heating Up Tensions in the Arctic The world’s attention has been focused on Russia’s build-up of more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s eastern border. But equally concerning and operating relatively under the radar is the Kremlin’s escalating military activities in the Arctic Circle. The c
Why Black people should care about Ukraine, explained
OPINION: As tension continues to rise between Russia and Ukraine and with 3,000 U.S. troops set to deploy to Eastern Europe, here's why you should care about what's happening in the region. (Credit: Getty Images) Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve been bombarded with news coverage of Russia’s military escalation against Ukraine.
What the Nuclear Policy Community Needs to Understand About Intersectionality
by Mari Faines December 21, 2021 Recent efforts within the nuclear field to stand as allies against systemic oppression and injustice are a start. But there is still a long way to go. We must go beyond solidarity statements and generic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies. We need tangible cooperation with movements, organizations, and individuals who don’t represent the current status quo of the nuclear field. Almost 24 months ago, we saw the world engage in the summer of protest.
Why is Russia Preparing to Invade Ukraine?
Three decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, an aggrieved Vladimir Putin is flexing his muscles to intimidate and threaten Ukraine. Tensions with NATO over former Soviet territories run deep and include concerns about NATO expansion and missile defense deployments. Would returning to a limited missile defense agreement with Russia help the situation? Tens of thousands of Russian troops are at Ukraine’s border reportedly preparing to invade the country.
Colin Powell’s Black Excellence Was Complicit in American Imperialism
Gen. Colin Powell, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 1, 1990. Leif Skoogfors/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images When I was 18, I aspired to the Black excellence of Colin Powell.
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