On episode 55 of the show we are joined by Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). In the spring of 2014, Pushilin became one of the leaders of the protest movement of the Russian-speaking population in the Donetsk region, becoming co-chairman of the provisional government. From November 2014 to September 2018, he served as a permanent representative of the DPR at the contact group negotiations in Minsk to resolve the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. On 21 February 2022, Pushilin had turned to Vladimir Putin with a request to recognize the independence of the DPR due to the deteriorating situation in the Donbass, on the same day the Russian president signed the corresponding decree. In September 2022, the DPR historically became part of the Russian Federation, and in October, Pushilin was appointed head of the republic.