Russian Roulette

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Hosted by Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovaya of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS, Russian Roulette explores the politics, history, and complex societies of Russia and Eurasia. Tune in for fascinating interviews and discussions on some of the biggest questions facing the broader post-Soviet space. Produced by David Lotfi, Lexi Linafelter, and Nicholas Fenton

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164 episodes
Updated July 27
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Episodes164

Newest first

Oct 25, 2025 · 43 min
The Impact of New Sanctions and Ukrainian Deep Strikes on the Russian Energy Industry with Clayton Seigle
Max and Maria spoke with Clayton Seigle about how new sanctions from the Trump administration could potentially impact Russian energy revenues. Additionally, they discussed the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries.
Oct 21, 2025 · 50 min
The 2025 Moldovan Parliamentary Elections
Max and Maria spoke with Leah Kieff and Vlad Lupan about the outcomes of the recent Moldovan parliamentary elections at the end of September, and why they're significant for both Moldova, and the broader region.
Oct 7, 2025 · 46 min
The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee
Max sat down with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee to talk about their new CSIS paper, "Guns and Oil: Continuity and Change in Russia-India Relations." They delve into the history of the Russia-India relationship, how it's been impacted by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and what to watch for going forward.
Sep 22, 2025 · 1 hr
Michael McFaul on Trump, Putin, and Autocrats vs. Democrats
Max and Maria spoke with Stanford professor and former ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul to talk about his latest book, and where things stand today in U.S.-Russia relations.
Sep 4, 2025 · 45 min
Jade McGlynn with an Update from Ukraine
Max spoke with Jade McGlynn while she was traveling in Ukraine about the war effort and life under Russian occupation. They also discussed recent protests over the Zelenskyy administration’s attempts to limit the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
Aug 21, 2025 · 27 min
Max and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace Summits
Max and Maria give their takes on the recent efforts to negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Aug 7, 2025 · 45 min
Has Putinism Failed? A Conversation with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev
Max and Maria spoke with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev about the recently released volume, Failure. Russia Under Putin.
Jul 28, 2025 · 50 min
Max and Michael Kimmage Catch Up on All Things Russia and Ukraine
This week, Max spoke with Michael Kimmage about the recent headlines connected to Russia and Ukraine, and what they mean for the coming months.
Jul 15, 2025 · 47 min
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Geopolitics in the South Caucasus
Max and Maria are joined by Richard Giragosian and Jeffrey Mankoff to talk about the current geopolitical moment in the South Caucasus, with a particular focus on the dynamics at play in the relationships between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
Jun 27, 2025 · 36 min
Hanna Notte on What the Israel-Iran War Means for Russia
Hanna Notte returns to the show for a conversation with Max and Maria about what the most recent round of hostilities between Israel and Iran, plus the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, mean for Russia's own Middle Eastern strategy.
Jun 26, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min
Bonus Episode: The Russian Wartime Economy (Live Event Recording)
Max moderated a live panel discussion with Maria, and two leading experts on the Russian economy, Elina Ribakova and Vladislav Inozemtsev.
Jun 20, 2025 · 49 min
A Battlefield Update from Mike Kofman
Max and Maria get another update from military expert Mike Kofman on the state of the frontlines in Ukraine.
Jun 3, 2025 · 36 min
The Ukrainian Economy Today with Elina Ribakova
Elina Ribakova returned to the show to speak with Max and Maria about the evolution of the Ukrainian economy since February 2022.
May 16, 2025 · 53 min
Chokepoints and Economic Warfare with Edward Fishman
Max and Maria spoke with Edward Fishman about his bestselling book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare.
May 2, 2025 · 47 min
The State of Russia-Ukraine Negotiations with Michael Kimmage
Max and Maria welcome Michael Kimmage back to the show to provide his analysis of the ongoing U.S.-led negotiations to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Apr 23, 2025 · 56 min
Keith Gessen and Bryn Rosenfeld on How We Should Interpret Russian Public Opinion Data About the War in Ukraine
Maria spoke with journalist Keith Gessen and scholar Bryn Rosenfeld about their work trying to make sense of Russian public opinion towards the war in Ukraine, and what it means for our understanding of Russian society today.
Apr 4, 2025 · 40 min
Russia-Ukraine Negotiations: Outlining a U.S. Strategy with Tom Wright
In this special CSIS crossover episode with Russian Roulette’s sister podcast, The Eurofile, Max Bergmann and co-host Donatienne Ruy welcome Tom Wright, senior fellow at Brookings and former Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the United States National Security Council (NSC) in the Biden administration, to discuss his recent article in Foreign Affairs outlining a U.S. strategy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations. The interview covers the current state of play in negotiations, Trump and Biden’s respective strategies toward Europe, and Tom's experience in government on a range of issues, including countering alignment between U.S. adversaries and competitors. For the complete episode, covering big news in European defense and more, visit The Eurofile
Apr 3, 2025 · 46 min
Drones and AI on the Battlefields of Ukraine with Kate Bondar and Sam Bendett
Maria spoke with Kate Bondar and Sam Bendett about their work on the latest drone and artificial intelligence technologies being employed on the battlefield in Ukraine. Read Kate's latest report, "Ukraine’s Future Vision and Current Capabilities for Waging AI-Enabled Autonomous Warfare" at CSIS.org.
Mar 17, 2025 · 33 min
Rose Gottemoeller on Negotiating with Russia
Max and Maria welcomed Rose Gottemoeller back to the show, to discuss the ongoing negotiations between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. As a former American diplomat who has sat across from the Russians to negotiate international treaties, she shared her insights about what she is watching as this process unfolds.
Mar 11, 2025 · 40 min
How Trump's Policies on Russia and Ukraine Are Being Received Across the Post-Soviet Space
Maria was joined by Tinatin Japaridze and Volodymyr Dubovyk to discuss how post-Soviet countries, particularly Ukraine and the states of the South Caucasus, are reckoning with the Trump administration's positions on the war in Ukraine.