Russian Roulette

Latest Episodes:

25 Years of Putinism with Sam Greene Jan 10, 2025

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Max and Maria were joined by Dr. Sam Greene to reflect on a quarter century of Putinism in Russia, how Vladimir Putin's rule has changed the country, and where his regime might be headed from here.

Follow Sam's writing on Substack by subscribing to his blog, TL;DRussia.

The War in Ukraine in 2025 with Michael Kofman Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

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.

This conversation was recorded live in the CSIS Brack Studio on December 12, 2024. The full video from this conversation is available on the CSIS website. This is the last episode of Russian Roulette for 2024. After a brief break for the holidays, we will return with new episodes in January 2025.

Dara Massicot on Battlefield Developments in Ukraine and the Threat of Escalation Dec 06, 2024

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Max and Maria speak with Dara Massicot, one of the leading experts on the Russian military and the war in Ukraine. Dara gives updates on the efforts of both sides to make gains on the battlefield, along with the current risks of escalation as we head into 2025. This conversation was recorded on December 3, 2024.

What Will Trump 2.0 Mean for the War in Ukraine? Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

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.

"An Outcome 'Up for Grabs': What Can Russia and Ukraine Expect from the Next U.S. Administration?" by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, and Nick Fenton (Center for Strategic and International Studies)

Sorin Ioniță and Eto Buziashvili on the Pivotal Elections in Moldova and Georgia Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

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.

Sanctions and the Russian Energy Industry with Ben Cahill and Eddie Fishman Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

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.

Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare by Edward Fishman is available for pre-order now (Penguin Random House).

Two Former Central Bankers on Russia's Inflation Problem Oct 04, 2024

Show notes

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.

Andrea Kendall-Taylor and the Axis of Upheaval Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

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.

"The Axis of Upheaval: How America's Adversaries Are Uniting to Overturn the Global Order," by Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Richard Fontaine (Foreign Affairs)

Mike Kofman and Rob Lee on the West’s Aid to Ukraine, and the Debate Over Red Lines and Escalation Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

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?

"Ukraine's Gamble: The Risks and Rewards of the Offensive Into Russia's Kursk Region" by Michael Kofman and Rob Lee (September 2, 2024 in Foreign Affairs)

Ukraine's Kursk Offensive with Sam Bendett and Mick Ryan Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

Max and Maria sat down with Sam Bendett and Mick Ryan to discuss the Ukrainian military's recent seizure of territory in Kursk Oblast, inside Russia. They discussed how this attack took place, the risks and potential gains at stake for the Ukrainian side, and what this could all mean for the war going forward.

Check out Mick's latest book, "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire."All royalties from the book will be donated to support the Ukrainian war effort.

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