Russian Roulette

Latest Episodes:

Russia's Frozen Reserves with Martin Sandbu Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

On this week's episode, Max and Maria are joined by Federico Steinberg, a CSIS Visiting Fellow and economist, and Martin Sandbu of the Financial Times. Martin has closely followed the debate around sanctions, with a particular focus on Russian financial reserves that have been frozen by Western governments. His thorough breakdown of this topic is a must-listen for anyone trying to understand the Russian economy today.

Ukraine's Coming Counteroffensive May 18, 2023

Show notes

Max and Maria are joined again by CSIS Senior Associate Michael Kimmage to discuss Ukraine's impending counteroffensive, and what it could mean for global politics going forward.

Learn More:

The Eurofile | Tories Battered in UK Local Elections, A Rant about the Stability and Growth Pact, and a Conversation with Jude Blanchette

Russia Sanctions at One Year

Out of Stock? Assessing the Impact of Sanctions on Russia’s Defense Industry

Escalating Waves of Repression May 04, 2023

Show notes

Today's episode is about the escalating waves of repression in Russia, and what they mean for both the regime and what remains of the organized domestic opposition. Maria sat down with Natalia Arno, the founder and president of the Free Russia Foundation, and Miriam Lanskoy, the Senior Director for Russia and Eurasia at the National Endowment for Democracy, to discuss this important topic.

Sanctions and Russia's Defense Industry Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

Today's episode is a recording of an event Max and Maria held on April 14, 2023 to discuss the findings of a new CSIS report, "Out of Stock? Assessing the Impact of Sanctions on Russia's Defense Industry." Joined by Samuel Bendett and Paul Schwartz, Max and Maria discuss the effects Western sanctions and export regulations have had on Russia's ability to produce key weapons systems, in addition to the Kremlin's efforts to circumvent the sanctions regime.

Read the full report here.

The Russian Elite Today -- with Michael Nacke and Nikolai Petrov Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

On this week's episode, Max and Maria sit down with Russian journalist Michael Nacke, and scholar Nikolai Petrov, to talk about the state of the Russian elite today. Topics include the recently leaked phone call between Iosif Progozhin and Farkhad Akhmedov, the impact of individual sanctions on powerful Russians, and whether or not fragmentation is occurring within Russia's ruling circles and power vertical.

Aliona Verbitskaya and the Rights of Ukrainian POWs Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

In this special episode, Max and Maria sit down with President Zelenskyy's Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Aliona Verbitskaya. As you will hear, this conversation was conducted in Russian, with Vera Mironova serving as Aliona's translator.

Special Episode: A Conversation with Kakha Gogolashvili on Georgia’s Foreign Agents Law Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

This week’s special episode of Russian Roulette features an interview on Georgia’s foreign agents law conducted by our sister podcast, The Eurofile. Max Bergmann and Donatienne Ruy from the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program sit down with Kakha Gogolashvili, Senior Fellow and Director of EU Studies at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss the recently abandoned foreign agents law, Russia’s presence in the South Caucasus, and Georgia’s EU membership aspirations.

Listen to The Eurofile | CSIS Podcasts

Empires of Eurasia with Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff Mar 09, 2023

Show notes

In this week's episode, you will hear a conversation Max had in December 2022 with Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff, discussing Jeff's book, Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security. Jeff argues that the imperial histories of contemporary China, Iran, Russia, and Turkey are critical in studying the international actions of these four Eurasian powers today.

Russia After a Year of War Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Max and Maria are joined by Michael Kimmage to discuss the state of affairs in Russia after a year of war in Ukraine, and where the country may be headed in 2023. Max, Maria, and Michael all highlight their recent writing connected to the war, and note the various debates around the impact of sanctions, Russia's shifting domestic political scene, and what all this means for Russia's leadership.

Read the articles discussed in the episode:

Putin's Last Stand by Michael Kimmage and Liana Fix (Foreign Affairs)
Wartime Putinism by Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman (Foreign Affairs)
What Could Come Next? Assessing the Putin Regime's Stability and Western Policy Options by Max Bergmann (csis.org)
Russia Sanctions at One Year: Learning from the Cases of South Africa and Iran by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, Nick Fenton, and Max Bergmann (csis.org)

The War in Ukraine, One Year On Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

Listen to the audio from an event our team hosted at CSIS on February 15, 2023. Max Bergmann moderated a panel comprised of Maria Snegovaya, Michael Kimmage, and the RAND Corporation's Dara Massicot, a Senior Policy Researcher and expert on the Russian military. The discussion took stock of the war in Ukraine so far, its implications for both Ukraine and Russia, and the ongoing impact the war is having on European politics and US policy in the broader region.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected