Russian Roulette

This conversation was recorded as a CSIS event on September 18, 2023. Max sat down with Lisa Aronsson, John Deni, and Paul Schwartz, to examine how sanctions-induced limits on Russia's defense industrial capacity have been impacting, and will continue to impact, Russia's ability to wage war on Ukraine, counter NATO, and remain a major actor in global arms sales. The panelists discussed the finding...

This week, Maria interviews Max about the emerging crisis around the future of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine. Max deep dives into the mechanics of how U.S. funding for Ukraine's war effort actually works, the impact of the ouster of Kevin McCarthy from the House speakership on the funding debate, and the potential role of the EU in filling the gap if the Biden administration fails to gain ad...

On this week's episode, Max is joined by Eric Ciaramella of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss his recent writing on possible long-term security arrangements for Ukraine while the country remains outside of the NATO alliance. Learn More: "How the West Can Secure Ukraine's Future: Kyiv Needs a Binding Commitment Before NATO Membership" by Eric Ciaramella (Foreign Affairs) "E...

After a few weeks off for the summer, Max and Maria are back, and are joined again this week by Professor Michael Kimmage. Max, Maria, and Michael discuss all the biggest headlines coming out of Russia and Ukraine since our last episode at the start of August, and give their takes on where events might be headed next. Learn More: The Eurofile | CSIS Podcasts "How Russia Globalized the War in Ukrai...

On this week's episode, Max and Maria are joined by long-time Russia hand and national security specialist, Rose Gottemoeller, for a wide-ranging conversation on Russian politics, the war in Ukraine, NATO, and nuclear non-proliferation. A former Deputy Secretary General of NATO and Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the U.S. Department of State, Rose reflects on her man...

In this week's episode, Max and Maria are joined by economists Elina Ribakova and Sergey Aleksashenko to discuss the current state of the Russian economy.   Learn More: "Sanctions Evaporate with Time" by Sergey Aleksashenko | Substack "Russia's War Machine Is Still Running on Western Equipment" by Elina Ribakova

In this episode, Max and Maria are joined by Andrew Monaghan and Richard Connolly to discuss their most recent work, "The Sea in Russian Strategy," a new edited volume on the growing importance of naval and maritime concerns in Moscow's foreign policy. (Note: This episode was recorded before Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on Monday, July 17, 2023.)

Max and Maria recently sat down with Jeffrey Mankoff and Catrina Doxsee to discuss how Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group, marched his troops towards Moscow in a direct challenge to the Russian leadership. Prigozhin's actions and the Kremlin's response raise important questions about the future of Vladimir Putin's rule, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In this week's episode, Max and Maria sit down with CSIS Senior Associates Jade McGlynn and Michael Kimmage to discuss Jade's latest book, "Russia's War." The book explores the domestic political approval for Russia's ongoing invasion and occupation of Ukraine within Russian society. This episode was recorded on May 25, 2023 as part of a CSIS book event. You can watch the video from the conversati...

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 R...

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 Sanc...

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.

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...

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 powe...

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.

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 ab...

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.

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...

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 h...

On this episode of Russian Roulette, listen to Max Bergmann interview Brian Hart and Meia Nouwens about a recent report from the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS, titled "Understanding the Broader Transatlantic Security Implications of Greater Sino-Russian Military Alignment." Brian and Meia both contributed papers to the report and discuss their findings with Max, along with their thou...

After a long hiatus, Russian Roulette is back! For our first episode after our time away, listen in to a conversation Max and Maria recently had at CSIS in Washington, DC.  Following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, The US, EU, and their partners imposed severe sanctions on the Russian economy. Sanctions of this scale and scope are unprecedented in recent history, and have major potenti...

After a long hiatus, Russian Roulette is back! 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 Tina Dolbaia and Nick Fent...

In this final episode of the year, Heather sits down Masha Gessen, a Russian-American journalist, author, translator and activist, and staff writer for The New Yorker. They discuss Masha’s piece “Can Russia’s Press Ever Be Free?” as well as the current state and future of journalism, society, and freedom of expression in Russia. Masha’s latest article and other pieces can be found here: www.newyor...

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with David Owen, former UK Foreign Secretary from 1977 until 1979 and author of a new book: Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma: Two Hundred Years of British-Russian Relations. They discuss the state of UK-Russia relations starting with a historical overview of the past two hundred years and ending with the future of the difficult relations of today....

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather provides a brief overview of a new CSIS report, “Russia’s Climate Gamble: The Pursuit and Contradictions of its Arctic Ambitions,” which examines the implications of climate impacts for Russia’s economy, internal political dynamics, and security posture. Heather then sits down with Felix H. Tschudi, the Chairman and owner of the Tschudi Group, a Norwegi...