It is with great honor that we announce our friend and colleague, Nolan Peterson, as the newest ambassador of the Dignitas Ukraine foundation. Nolan’s deep commitment to justice perfectly aligns with the core values and mission of Dignitas Ukraine. We are all excited about the positive impact his involvement will make.

Nolan holds the position of a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. An independent defense consultant, award-winning journalist, war correspondent, and author, he has made Ukraine his home since 2014. 

While all these qualities make him an excellent fit for the role, there is still much more to learn about him.

A Florida native, Peterson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2004 with a degree in political science and French. He studied at the Sorbonne and earned a master’s from Middlebury College and later earned a second master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where he was a McCormick Foundation fellow.

Nolan Peterson, a former special operations pilot in the U.S. Air Force, served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Peterson’s diverse experiences shape his writing and journalism. As a war correspondent, he has reported worldwide, from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Iraq, including with Kurdish Peshmerga in the 2016 battle for Mosul, and was embedded on the USS George H.W. Bush off Syria’s coast during the coalition air war against ISIS.

In October 2015, he embarked on a solo journey across the Himalayas, traveling from Nepal to China and following the path of Tibetan refugees. Along the way, he captured the stories of Tibetan freedom fighters in India and Nepal.

Additionally, Peterson has run a marathon in Antarctica, swum the Hellespont, embedded within a migrant caravan crossing Mexico, completed Ironman triathlons, and visited all seven continents before turning 30.

Peterson’s writings have appeared in various prominent news organizations such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News, BBC, Newsweek, and Coffee or Die Magazine. He is also the author of “Why Soldiers Miss War: The Journey Home” and several collections of fiction.

He has been living in Ukraine since russia’s first invasion in 2014. Initially drawn to raise awareness of the war, he decided to stay, inspired by the resilience and pursuit of freedom among the Ukrainian people.

Nolan Peterson believes that in Ukraine, the young generation is incredibly courageous and dedicated to achieving complete social, cultural, political, and economic separation from russia. They know what they want. Much of their vision, shaped by travels and media impressions, drives their firm belief that their efforts can transform their country to the good.

Nolan considers it crucial to emphasize that Ukraine has a deeply rooted democratic culture. This culture is so strong and endemic that it has been wholeheartedly embraced by both the young and older generations in Ukraine.

“So, for the sake of Ukraine’s bright future, let’s arm them to the teeth. Let’s let them win this thing as quickly as possible. It’ll end up sparing so many lives the quicker they can win this war. Let them move on and enjoy the dream and the future that they have so clearly fought to achieve and what they deserve.” – Nolan Peterson said during the interview with Jonathan Fink for the Silicon Curtain podcast.