Russian Roulette

Russian Roulette

Russian Roulette takes a look at the politics, economics, and culture of Russia and Eurasia through both interviews and lively discussion with experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and around the world. Hosted by CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program experts Olga Oliker and Jeffrey Mankoff.

Episodes

The 2025 Moldovan Parliamentary Elections

October 21, 2025 • 50 mins
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. This conversation was recorded on October 14, 2025.
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The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee

October 7, 2025 • 46 mins
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. "Guns and Oil: Continuity and Change in Russia-India Relations," by Tina Dolbaia, Vasabjit Banerjee, and Amanda Southfi...
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Michael McFaul on Trump, Putin, and Autocrats vs. Democrats

September 22, 2025 • 60 mins
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. Pre-order Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul (HarperCollins, October 2025) "The Real Meaning of Putin's Middle East Failure: Russia's Allies in the Region Couldn't Count on Moscow — and Neither...
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Jade McGlynn with an Update from Ukraine

September 4, 2025 • 45 mins
Max had wide-ranging conversation with Jade McGlynn while she was traveling in Ukraine. Topics covered include the Ukrainian war effort, the situation behind the lines in the Russian-occupied territories, and the recent protests in Ukraine against perceived efforts by the Zelenskyy administration to limit the independence of domestic anti-corruption agencies. This conversation was recorded on August 1, 2025 "Crossing Thresholds: ...
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Max and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace Summits

August 21, 2025 • 27 mins
Max and Maria give their takes on the recent efforts to negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. They analyze the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, and then the meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders at the White House.   This episode was recorded on August 20, 2025.
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Has Putinism Failed? A Conversation with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev

August 7, 2025 • 45 mins
Max and Maria spoke with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev about the recently released volume, Failure. Russia Under Putin. This conversation was recorded on July 17, 2025. Failure. Russia Under Putin is available now from Bloomsbury Publishing.
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Max and Michael Kimmage Catch Up on All Things Russia and Ukraine

July 28, 2025 • 50 mins
This week, Max spoke with Michael Kimmage about the recent headlines connected to Russia and Ukraine, and what they mean for the coming months. "The Limits of Putin's Balancing Act: What the Kremlin Will Sacrifice in Pursuit of Victory in Ukraine," by Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman (Foreign Affairs, July 2025)
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Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Geopolitics in the South Caucasus

July 15, 2025 • 47 mins
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. This conversation was recorded on July 9, 2025.
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Hanna Notte on What the Israel-Iran War Means for Russia

June 27, 2025 • 36 mins
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.  This conversation was recorded on June 25, 2025. "Russia no longer needs Iran's help to sustain the war in Ukraine," by Hanna Notte (June 2025, Financial Times) "Why Isn't Russia Defending...
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Bonus Episode: The Russian Wartime Economy (Live Event Recording)

June 26, 2025 • 89 mins
Max moderated a live panel discussion with Maria, and two leading experts on the Russian economy, Elina Ribakova and Vladislav Inozemtsev. The conversation focused on the findings of the recent report from the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, "The Russian Wartime Economy: From Sugar High to Hangover."
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A Battlefield Update from Mike Kofman

June 20, 2025 • 49 mins
Max and Maria get another update from military expert Mike Kofman on the state of the frontlines in Ukraine.  This conversation was recorded on June 11, 2025. "The Russian Wartime Economy: From Sugar High to Hangover" by Maria Snegovaya, Nicholas Fenton, Tina Dolbaia, and Max Bergmann (June 2025, CSIS.org) "Russia's Battlefield Woes in Ukraine" by Seth Jones and Riely McCabe (June 2025, CSIS.org) "Assessing Russian Military Ada...
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The Ukrainian Economy Today with Elina Ribakova

June 3, 2025 • 36 mins
Elina Ribakova returned to the show to speak with Max and Maria about the evolution of the Ukrainian economy since February 2022.
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Chokepoints and Economic Warfare with Edward Fishman

May 16, 2025 • 53 mins
Max and Maria spoke with Edward Fishman about his bestselling book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. 
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The State of Russia-Ukraine Negotiations with Michael Kimmage

May 2, 2025 • 47 mins
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. This conversation was recorded on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. "What if America Abandons Ukraine?" by Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage (Foreign Affairs, May 2025). "The Zeitenwende Is Real This Time," by Michael Kimmage and Sudha David-Wilp (Foreign Affairs, April 2025).
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Keith Gessen and Bryn Rosenfeld on How We Should Interpret Russian Public Opinion Data About the War in Ukraine

April 23, 2025 • 56 mins
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.
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Russia-Ukraine Negotiations: Outlining a U.S. Strategy with Tom Wright

April 4, 2025 • 40 mins
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 ...
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Drones and AI on the Battlefields of Ukraine with Kate Bondar and Sam Bendett

April 3, 2025 • 46 mins
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.
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Rose Gottemoeller on Negotiating with Russia

March 17, 2025 • 33 mins
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. This conversation was recorded on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
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How Trump's Policies on Russia and Ukraine Are Being Received Across the Post-Soviet Space

March 11, 2025 • 40 mins
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. This conversation was recorded on Friday, March 7, 2025.
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The War in Ukraine Three Years On

February 26, 2025 • 64 mins
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. Th...
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