Military

Nolan Peterson, Coffee or Die’s Ukraine Reporter, Addresses DC

February 28, 2023Matt White
Nolan Peterson, a senior editor at Coffee or Die who has lived in Kyiv for eight years, spoke at a DC think tank conference on his front-line reporting on Russia’s invasion. Photo courtesy of Nolan Peterson.

Nolan Peterson, a senior editor at Coffee or Die who has lived in Kyiv for eight years, spoke at a DC think tank conference on his front-line reporting on Russia’s invasion. Photo courtesy of Nolan Peterson.

Inside the bomb shelters, Nolan Peterson remembers the cell phones.

“Outside you could hear the sounds of battle. And it was strangely quiet inside that underground space, even though it was crammed with hundreds of people,” Peterson said in recent remarks at a Washington think tank. “But there was one sound that stood out from the silence. It came from people’s smartphones as they listened, over and over, to a speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declaring that he would not leave the city.”

“In that moment, I knew that Russia had already lost.”

Nolan Peterson, a senior editor at Coffee or Die who has lived in Kyiv for eight years, spoke at a DC think tank conference on his frontline reporting on Russia's invasion.

Nolan Peterson, a senior editor and war correspondent for Coffee or Die, in a trench system built by the Ukrainian army in the months leading up to the 2022 invasion. Peterson has reported from Ukraine since 2014. Photo by Nolan Peterson.

Peterson, a senior editor for Coffee or Die, has lived in Kyiv for eight years, filing dozens of front-line reports from around Ukraine in the lead-up to and aftermath of the Russian invasion.

He spoke in Washington on a “Keeping Ukraine on the Path to Victory” panel at the Hudson Institute, an influential foreign policy think tank, during a trip to the US in late February. The speech was carried by C-SPAN.

That underlying national direction, Peterson said, underpins the war effort.

“They have a very clear understanding of what they want, and I think that fuels their determination to stand up and fight,” Peterson said.

Peterson spoke on a panel with Melinda Haring, a director at Superhumans Center, a medical relief organization, and Paul Massaro, a senior policy advisor for countercorruption and sanctions for the Helsinki Commission.

In a follow-on discussion to his remarks, Peterson discussed his prewar coverage for Coffee or Die on Ukrainian civilians training for war.

“I remember being out there watching them run around in the snow, and I was looking at them, and I was just like, ‘Are they really going to do it?’” Peterson said. “‘When there’s a Russian tank rolling down the street, are you really going to have the courage to step out and throw a Molotov cocktail at it, to shoot back?’ And they did.

“It was quite remarkable to see these people walk that walk.”

Peterson’s full remarks on his year living and reporting in Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion are available on C-SPAN’s website.

Read Next: The Full-Scale War in Ukraine at One Year: A Reporter Looks Back

Matt White
Matt White

Matt White is a former senior editor for Coffee or Die Magazine. He was a pararescueman in the Air Force and the Alaska Air National Guard for eight years and has more than a decade of experience in daily and magazine journalism.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay: The World War II General Who Firebombed Japan

Who exactly was Gen. Curtis LeMay? And how did he become the commander who razed more than 60 Japanese cities during World War II?

eric smith marine corps commandant nominee
Highly Decorated Marine Officer Nominated To Be Next Commandant

President Joe Biden has nominated a highly decorated Marine officer who has been involved in the transformation of the force to be the next Marine Corps commandant.

USS Arizona
Profile of a Ship: USS Arizona

When the USS Arizona sank, it took 1,177 crew members with it. Today it remains beneath the water as a memorial to all those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

b1 bombers bosnia
US Bombers Fly Over Bosnia in Sign of Support Amid Continued Secessionist Threats

A pair of U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flew low over Sarajevo and several other Bosnian cities...

SR-71 Blackbird
SR-71 Blackbird: The Spy Plane That Could Outrun Missiles

Lockheed Martin’s SR-71 Blackbird was a government secret for years. Now retired, a newer version plans to take its place.

medal of honor recipient remains returned
Missing 73 Years, Medal of Honor Recipient's Remains Return To Georgia

Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Regiment made a desperate retreat as North Korean troops closed in arou...

dear jack
Dear Jack: My Battalion Is Out of Control

In this installment of “Dear Jack,” Marine veteran and amateur life coach Jack Mandaville advises a lieutenant colonel on how to restore order in the lower ranks.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved