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Russia Decoded

Center for the National Interest

Russia Decoded explains how the Kremlin shapes its narrative of current domestic and international events through tightly curated state news broadcasts. Co-hosts Andy Kuchins, a senior fellow at CFTNI and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington, and Chris Monday, a professor of economics at Dongseo University in Busan, South Korea, are veteran observers of Soviet and Russian media. Kuchins and Monday frame their discussions around the weekly Russian news round-up program Vesti Nedeli (“News of the Week”), broadcast on Russia’s Channel 2 on Sunday evenings. Viewed through the right lens, Vesti Nedeli offers a uniquely revealing perspective on how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

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S1 · E36
Tuesday · 56 min
August 24, 2026: Pandora's Box
Last week, Vladimir Putin sat down for an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, where he warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy and logistics infrastructure had “opened Pandora’s box.” Moscow, Putin promised, would respond with devastating force. Kyiv’s deep strikes this summer have turned the war into a central political issue for everyday Russians, and with legislative elections just weeks away, Putin’s interview acts as campaign material. His threat of retaliation is echoed throughout Vesti’s Sunday broadcast. Britain is named as the European villain-of-the-week over its drone deliveries to Ukraine, and the program declares factories on British soil as fair game in the Kremlin’s retaliation. Has Moscow given up on cultivating Europe’s pro-Russian political parties in favor of open military threats? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E35
August 18 · 58 min
August 17, 2026: "The Laugh of Triumph Over a Defeated Enemy"
This week’s Vesti broadcast gave viewers little to celebrate except the destruction of Russia's enemies, with the Kremlin gloating over the "liberation" of destroyed, abandoned villages in Ukraine while ignoring the harsh realities of life in Russian-held territories. Added to this unrelenting grimness was Vesti's other tale of "triumph" in the Russian Far East. Last week, Vladimir Putin became only the second Russian leader to visit the disputed Kuril Islands, a direct provocation aimed at Japan. By flaunting Russian naval strength and tightening its axis with North Korea and China, is the Kremlin now threatening to open a "second front" against the West, isolating Japan and South Korea while the U.S. remains bogged down in the Middle East? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E34
August 11 · 57 min
August 10, 2026: Blame Russia for Everything
This week, Vesti devoted its Europe report to a single accusation: that a failing European political class blames Moscow for every crisis that it has created itself, from migrants surging into Ceuta to vineyards burning in France and Germany's self-imposed energy shock. All of it, the program insists, is unfairly laid at Russia's door by leaders whose own coalitions are crumbling. But is Vesti projecting? What does it mean that the Kremlin's own account of the world runs on the same conspiratorial logic, with hidden hands, foreign plots, and adversaries credited with supreme powers? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E33
August 4 · 47 min
August 3, 2026: So Many Ways to Go Wrong
The Russia-Ukraine war is no longer contained to Ukraine, and the number of theaters now capable of pulling in one another, from Kyiv to Tehran, is growing faster than anyone's ability to manage them. Was Ukraine's recent strike on an Iranian vessel intended as a message for Donald Trump, and why did it fail to get the U.S. president's attention during Zelensky's Washington visit? Why has Vesti Nedeli had so little to say about America's war in Iran? And what should we make of a mobilization denial slipped into the final seconds of the Sunday broadcast, the same week a deputy defense minister suggested Russians who don't want to fight shouldn't be allowed to leave at all? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E32
July 28 · 43 min
July 27, 2026: Rallying Around the Flag
This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast focused not on victory but on hardship. Russian correspondents fanned out from Volgograd to Vladivostok to report on fuel shortages, ten-day blackouts in Crimea, and the sixth successful Ukrainian strike on the warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer. After four years in which most Russians have experienced the war only at a distance, the drones now arrive daily, and Vesti's decision to show it in full, grim detail looks less like candor than an attempt to make Putin's war everyone's war. Excluded from the broadcast was perhaps the week's most extraordinary moment, when Kazakh President Tokayev, seated beside Putin with cameras rolling, stated plainly that he does not understand what the point of this war is, and proposing a ceasefire. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E31
July 21 · 51 min
July 20, 2026: Getting Down to Business
With Dmitry Kiselyov away on vacation, the latest Vesti Nedeli fell to a substitute host, Yevgeny Popov, and the resulting broadcast felt like a different show entirely. Gone were the familiar tropes, the bandits and fascists and postmodern flourishes, replaced by a stripped-down, fact-heavy recitation of the news. As Kiselyov's propaganda machine idles in neutral, Popov is letting the West's own weak spots speak for themselves, from Zelensky's unpopular government purges to Europe's faltering support for military aid to Ukraine. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E30
July 14 · 56 min
July 13, 2026: "Time Is on Our Side"
This week, Vesti Nedeli contrasted the two warring nations: Russia endures mere discomfort, from gas lines to rationing to rising prices, while life in Ukraine becomes unsustainable, with empty Patriot batteries, draft riots in Lviv, and Russian missiles landing at will. The message to Russian viewers is unmistakable: "we are taking some blows now, but time is on our side." That bet on endurance runs through nearly every story the Kremlin broadcast this week, from Putin's take-charge performance on the fuel crisis to gleeful coverage of dissension at the NATO summit. Even the announcement of a lavish new War and Peace miniseries, timed for release in 2028, reveals how long Moscow thinks this war could last. But how real is the confidence? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E29
July 7 · 59 min
July 6, 2026: Does Putin Have a Way Out?
With Ukraine's drone campaign striking ever deeper into Russia, Western analysts have rushed to declare a turning point in the war. But is it one? This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast, pointedly titled "War for Peace," reads like a direct rebuttal to the argument that Putin has trapped himself in a geopolitical standoff with no good options left. From the Kremlin's perspective, the escalation options are everywhere: stirring trouble in Cuba, playing the Iran card, and deepening the alliance with China. Europe, meanwhile, is reacting to the threat of Russian escalation with a massive push for remilitarization. If this defense splurge comes at the expense of social spending, could it end up helping Putin, as frustrated European voters revolt against their already unpopular leaders in favor of nationalist (and, as it happens, pro-Putin) parties? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E28
June 30 · 56 min
June 29, 2026: Putin Takes the Wheel
This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast was especially Putin-centric. Acknowledging fuel shortages, reciting battlefield details by heart, and personally steering the response to Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries, the Russian leader appears not just in command but energized by the continuing confrontation with the West. However, recent events -- from Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia's refining sector to upcoming Duma elections that risk an embarrassing turnout -- have placed mounting strains on the regime that no amount of stagecraft can fully hide. Is Putin genuinely in his element, or performing mastery over problems he can't actually solve? And what does it mean that the strongman is increasingly the system's only visible actor? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E27
June 16 · 47 min
June 15, 2026: Putin's Magic Wears Off
On Sunday, a devastating missile strike hit Kyiv’s Pechersk Lavra, one of the most sacred sites in the Orthodox world. The attack points to a Kremlin that is now burning through its own foundational myths, chiefly Russia and Ukraine's shared Orthodox heritage. Days earlier, news coverage of Russia Day celebrations highlighted a different problem for the Kremlin: the seeming erosion of the emotional connection between Vladimir Putin and the soldiers he claims to lead. As Russian state media projects confidence and momentum on the battlefield, signs of anxiety are obvious on the homefront. How long can a leader maintain structural control when even his state-orchestrated military "heroes" show little positive emotion for their mission? And what does Moscow's most recent act of escalation reveal about the Kremlin's willingness to prolong the Ukraine war? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E26
June 9 · 52 min
June 8, 2026: Putin Says 'Nyet' to Zelensky's Offer
At this year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Vladimir Putin delivered a resounding "nyet" to Volodymyr Zelensky's open letter proposing a face-to-face meeting, even as Ukrainian drones struck mere kilometers from the conference. SPIEF 2026 was equal parts economic summit and political theater, with Putin exuding confidence before an eclectic cast of foreign guests. But why refuse to negotiate now, and what does the refusal reveal about how the Kremlin reads the battlefield, the Russian economy, and the political clock ticking in Washington? Is Putin's "nyet" a door slammed shut, or a calculated bet that time is on Russia's side? And what should we make of the faces Russian television chooses to show, to sideline, or to blur out entirely? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.
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S1 · E25
May 26 · 1 hr 2 min
May 25, 2026: The War Goes on and on and on...
On May 22, a drone strike tore through a student dormitory in Starobilsk, leaving dozens of civilians dead or wounded, and Moscow wasted no time casting blame on Kyiv. In "retaliation," the Kremlin launched one of the largest missile and drone barrages on the Ukrainian capital since the war began, complete with an Oreshnik ballistic missile and an unprecedented advisory for foreigners to flee Kyiv. Putin, it seems, is climbing the escalation ladder. And Starobilsk is just one of many grim stories this week: Russia and Belarus conducted joint nuclear exercises, Russian jets buzzed a British spy plane over the Black Sea, and Ukrainian drones have continued drifting into the Baltic States. Is Putin a master of brinkmanship who has locked himself into a game of chicken with the West, or is he now simply stuck as his "Special Military Operation" enters its 222nd week? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E24
May 19 · 52 min
May 18, 2026: The Boy Who Cried Sarmat
On May 12, Russia test-fired the world's largest missile, the 208-ton Sarmat ICBM. That same week, Ukrainian drones penetrated Moscow's heavily-defended airspace to strike industrial plants and oil refineries. Against the backdrop of this asymmetry, Sergey Karaganov has returned to state television to argue that Russia must restore its credibility by striking a NATO country, and Vesti Nedeli's tone toward the West has sharpened across the board. Has the Kremlin's nuclear bluff simply crossed into boy-who-cried-wolf territory, or does the continued saber-rattling herald potential new schemes to divide Kyiv's Western supporters? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E23
May 12 · 52 min
May 11, 2026: "The Matter Is Coming to an End"
During his lengthy press conference following the May 9 Victory Day parade, Vladimir Putin slipped in an almost offhand remark that "the matter is coming to an end" — a phrase Western outlets quickly seized on as a signal that the war in Ukraine may finally be winding down. But was that really what Putin meant? Read in the context of continued nuclear threats on state television, North Korean troops marching across Red Square, and a new Russian law authorizing military intervention to "rescue" citizens abroad, the remark begins to sound less like capitulation and more like its opposite. Is Putin's comment an admission of exhaustion, or a threat of escalation toward the West? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E22
May 5 · 51 min
May 3, 2026: Murky Signals From Moscow
Last week, Vladimir Putin held a 90-minute phone call with Donald Trump, ostensibly to express concern over a recent assassination attempt and to revive the "spirit of Anchorage." Yet for all the warm headlines, Russian state media's coverage of the call and other top news stories has been unusually murky, with signals pulling in different directions on Iran, Ukraine, and Europe. Did Putin place the call to head off King Charles's potential influence on Trump? Why has Moscow's nuclear rhetoric toward Europe suddenly gone quiet? And why is the buildup to the May 9 Victory Day parade so conspicuously muted? This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast hints at a Kremlin calibrating. But calibrating toward what? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E21
April 21 · 51 min
April 19, 2026: Turning the Screws on Europe
Is Russian state media prepping its audience for a showdown with Europe? Recent broadcasts have framed European drone factories as legitimate military targets and accused Kyiv of deliberately dragging the continent into conflict with Moscow. Beneath the rhetoric, a quietly advancing Duma law (reportedly drafted inside Putin's own family) would give the Kremlin sweeping new authority to deploy its military abroad. Meanwhile, coverage of Donald Trump has turned sharply hostile, with Moscow mocking the U.S. war effort as a "holy war" led by "crusaders" in the White House. And as Vesti Nedeli continues its glowing coverage of Sino-Russian ties, do these stories signal that the Kremlin is abandoning any pretense of diplomacy with the West? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E20
April 14 · 42 min
April 12, 2026: Moscow Loses Its Hungarian Trump Card
On Sunday, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party secured a historic victory in Hungary's parliamentary election, ousting current prime minister Viktor Orbán and depriving the Kremlin of its most reliable tool for blocking European assistance to Ukraine. While muted on the election results, Russian state media has continued to hammer at Europe, deriding NATO members as "junk bond" allies and highlighting the Royal Navy’s recent failure to confront a Russian incursion into British territorial waters. This hardline narrative even extends across the Atlantic. The collapse of the Islamabad peace talks has triggered sharp Russian criticism of president Donald Trump’s "madman" negotiation tactics and his megalomaniacal threat to destroy Iranian civilization. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E19
April 7 · 53 min
April 5, 2026: "Once Upon a Time, There Was NATO"
In a televised display reminiscent of the infamous Trump-Zelensky Oval Office meeting in February 2025, Vladimir Putin last week delivered a dressing-down to Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan in the Kremlin. The Russian president warned Armenia that any further pivot toward the European Union and away from Russia would meet severe economic consequences. This public spectacle comes in the lead-up to Hungary's high-stakes parliamentary elections on April 12, where Moscow and Washington both appear eager to bolster incumbent prime minister Viktor Orbán and his anti-EU agenda. As Donald Trump now criticizes European allies for their refusal to participate in his war on Iran, Russian state media speculates whether the Middle East conflict will spell the end of the nearly eight decade NATO alliance. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E18
March 31 · 44 min
March 29, 2026: Iran Dominates the Russian News Cycle
With U.S. military operations now in their fifth week, the Iran War has become the centerpiece of Russian news coverage, which portrays the operation as a "catastrophe" exposing the limits of American power. The Kremlin’s narrative has even turned personal, mocking the Trump administration’s lack of sophistication. This saturation of Gulf coverage has naturally pushed Russia's own "Special Military Operation" to the fringes of the news cycle, with state media conveniently ignoring rising drone attacks within Russian borders and renewed calls for trilateral peace negotiations from Volodymyr Zelensky. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
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S1 · E17
March 24 · 56 min
March 22, 2026: Is a Digital Iron Curtain Falling on Russia?
With the war in Iran now in its fourth week, Russian state media continues to showcase the conflict as the latest act of Western "lawlessness." The heavy focus on the Middle East now serves as a convenient screen for the "special military operation" in Ukraine, which has largely vanished from headline news as Russian forces face retreat and the sudden loss of Starlink connectivity. Behind this silence, the Kremlin is intensifying its "ideological warfare," moving to dismantle digital bridges to the West by targeting the public's reliance on Telegram and rapidly restricting broader internet access to create a 1980s-style information vacuum. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it. Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.
- Transcript

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