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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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170 episodes
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Avg 44 min
English

Episodes 170

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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.
Feb 26, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
The War in Ukraine Three Years On
Max and Maria sat down with Michael Kimmage and Dara Massicot for an event in the CSIS studio to discuss the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The conversation took stock of the current situation on the battlefield, the state of affairs within Russia and Ukraine right now, and the diplomatic prospects for the kind of negotiated settlement currently being advocated for by the Trump administration.
Feb 21, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
A New Strategy for Containing Russia
Max and Maria were recently joined by Michael Kimmage and Jeffrey Mankoff for a live event in the CSIS broadcast studio to discuss the team's recent work outlining a new European strategy for containing Russia.
Feb 20, 2025 · 28 min
Max and Maria on the Start of U.S.-Russian Negotiations Over the War in Ukraine
Max and Maria share their first takes on U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh on February 18, aiming for a Ukraine war resolution—without Ukraine or European nations present.
Feb 6, 2025 · 43 min
Lessons from Soviet Foreign Policy with Sergey Radchenko
Max and Maria interviewed historian Sergey Radchenko about his book To Run the World, discussing how Soviet foreign policy insights can shed light on Russia's current global strategy.
Jan 23, 2025 · 48 min
Russia and the Middle East in 2025
Maria spoke with Hanna Notte and Natasha Hall about the new balance of forces in the Middle East at the start of 2025, and what the current geopolitical situation in the region means for Russia.
Jan 10, 2025 · 33 min
25 Years of Putinism with Sam Greene
Max, Maria, and Dr. Sam Greene discuss the impact of Vladimir Putin's 25 years of rule in Russia, analyzing the changes in the country and exploring the future of his regime.
Dec 19, 2024 · 1 hr 2 min
The War in Ukraine in 2025 with Michael Kofman
Max and Maria were joined by Russian military expert Michael Kofman to discuss where the war in Ukraine may be headed in the year to come. With a new administration in Washington and political turmoil across Europe, Russia continuing to make grinding gains on the battlefield, and calls for some sort of negotiated settlement rising, the next six months could prove critical to the future direction of the conflict.
Dec 6, 2024 · 36 min
Dara Massicot on Battlefield Developments in Ukraine and the Threat of Escalation
Max and Maria speak with Dara Massicot, one of the leading experts on the Russian military and the war in Ukraine.
Nov 15, 2024 · 42 min
What Will Trump 2.0 Mean for the War in Ukraine?
Max and Maria speak with Michael Kimmage to take stock of the impact of the recent U.S. elections on the future of the war in Ukraine, and U.S. policy towards Russia.
Nov 1, 2024 · 38 min
Sorin Ioniță and Eto Buziashvili on the Pivotal Elections in Moldova and Georgia
Max and Maria spoke with Sorin Ioniță and Eto Buziashvili about the recent election results coming out of Moldova and Georgia. Both of these post-Soviet states find themselves at a geopolitical crossroads, with Russian malign influence campaigns directly impacting their domestic politics.
Oct 17, 2024 · 42 min
Sanctions and the Russian Energy Industry with Ben Cahill and Eddie Fishman
Max and Maria with Ben Cahill and Eddie Fishman about the current state of Russia's energy industry, and the prospects for the country's lucrative hydrocarbon exports. They also assessed the impacts of Western sanctions on the industry to date and ways those sanctions could potentially be tightened going forward. This conversation was recorded on October 7, 2024.
Oct 4, 2024 · 42 min
Two Former Central Bankers on Russia's Inflation Problem
This week, Maria sat down with Sergey Aleksashenko and Alexandra Prokopenko to discuss the Russian central bank's continued inability to reign in domestic inflation, and what it means for Russia's economy and war effort going forward.
Sep 23, 2024 · 32 min
Andrea Kendall-Taylor and the Axis of Upheaval
On this week's episode, Max and Maria are joined by Andrea Kendall-Taylor to discuss Russian collaboration with China, Iran, and North Korea, and the key role that these partnerships are playing in sustaining Russia's invasion of Ukraine and post-2022 foreign policy strategy.
Sep 9, 2024 · 56 min
Mike Kofman and Rob Lee on the West’s Aid to Ukraine, and the Debate Over Red Lines and Escalation
This week, Max and Maria were joined by military analysts Michael Kofman and Rob Lee to discuss the latest phase of the war in Ukraine. Max and Maria asked them for their thoughts on the ongoing Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, and whether or not this seizure of Russian territory by Kyiv exposes Russian threats of escalation as hollow. If they are hollow, does that mean Western "red lines" on certain kinds of aid to Ukraine should be reassessed?

Showing 41–60 of 170 episodes