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CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

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.

Russian Roulette

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 Should China," by Michael McFaul and Abbas Milani (Foreign Affairs, July 2025)

"Putin, Putinism, and the Domestic Determinants of Russian Foreign Policy" by Michael McFaul (International Security, Fall 2020)

Michael McFaul on Trump, Putin, and Autocrats vs. Democrats

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: Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Occupation," by Jade McGlynn (June 2024, CSIS).

Jade McGlynn with an Update from Ukraine

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.

Max and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace Summits

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.

Has Putinism Failed? A Conversation with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev

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)

Max and Michael Kimmage Catch Up on All Things Russia and Ukraine

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.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Geopolitics in the South Caucasus

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 Iran?" by Hanna Notte (June 2025, The Atlantic)

Hanna Notte on What the Israel-Iran War Means for Russia

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."

Bonus Episode: The Russian Wartime Economy (Live Event Recording)

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 Adaptation in 2023" by Michael Kofman (October 2024, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

A Battlefield Update from Mike Kofman

Elina Ribakova returned to the show to speak with Max and Maria about the evolution of the Ukrainian economy since February 2022.

Jade McGlynn with an Update from Ukraine

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