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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 welcome back Dr. Sam Greene, professor of Russian Politics at King's College London, to discuss the state of Russian public opinion today, and whether domestic conditions have begun change given the state of the economy, war, and reports of increasing paranoia in the Kremlin.

War, Inflation, and Putin's Paranoia: has Russian Public Opinion Begun to Shift?

Max and Maria welcome back Elina Ribakova to discuss her latest piece in Foreign Affairs, exploring the Ukrainian defense industry and its potential capacity to help Europe secure its own defense. 

More from Elina in Foreign Affairs: Europe’s Untapped Arsenal: Ukraine Has Forged the Defense Industry the Continent Desperately Needs

The Ukrainian Defense Industry and Europe’s Untapped Arsenal

Max and Maria are joined by journalist and author Julia Ioffe to discuss her recent book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy.

Motherland is available now from HarperCollins Publishers.

The History of Russian Feminism with Julia Ioffe

Max and Maria are joined by Hanna Notte and Janis Kluge for a deep dive on how the Iran war and turmoil in global energy markets continue to impact Russian foreign policy.

 This conversation was recorded on March 25, 2026.

How the Iran War and the Price of Oil Impact the Kremlin's Calculus

Max sat down with Michael Kimmage for a rapid fire session running over the potential implications of the ongoing war in the Middle East for Russian foreign policy.

This conversation was recorded on March 19, 2026.

BONUS EPISODE: What the Iran War Means for Russia

Max and Maria spoke with Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon about how authoritarian and illiberal governments leverage transnational corruption as part of their foreign policies and global strategies.

This conversation was recorded on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

"The Age of Kleptocracy: Geopolitical Power, Private Gain" by Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon (Foreign Affairs, February 2026)

Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics by Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis (Oxford University Press, 2025)

Transnational Corruption in Foreign Policy Today

Eric Ciaramella of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace returned to the show to discuss his recent article with Sophia Besch on the ways that European states can support Ukraine militarily without the involvement of the U.S. Max and Maria asked him about his piece, the funding questions behind its ideas, and Eric's overall assessment on peace negotiations with Russia.

This conversation was recorded on February 26, 2026.

"Fortress Ukraine: How a Coalition of the Willing Can Rearm Kyiv Without Washington," by Eric Ciaramella and Sophia Besch (Foreign Affairs, January 2026).

"What If Trump Gets His Russia-Ukraine Deal?" by Eric Ciaramella (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, February 2026).

Eric Ciaramella on How Europe Can Arm Ukraine

Max and Maria spoke with Hanna Notte, JP Gresh, and Michael Kimmage at a live CSIS event marking the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This conversation was recorded on February 23, 2026. For the video recording of this event, please go to CSIS.org.

"Putin Had High Hopes for Trump. They Have Been Dashed," by Hanna Notte (The New York Times, February 2026).

Preorder We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West, by Hanna Notte (W.W. Norton & Company, August 2026).

Four Years of the War in Ukraine (Live Event)

Max and Maria were joined by Andrian Prokip and Tim McDonnell to discuss the relentless Russian bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and what this means for average Ukrainians trying to survive the winter months.

Be sure to explore Tim McDonnell’s newsletter, Semafor Energy.

Ukraine's Ongoing Energy Crisis

Max and Maria spoke with Jade McGlynn about her latest report on Ukrainian resistance in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

"Thresholds of Survival: The Resistance in Occupied Ukraine" by Jade McGlynn (January 2026, CSIS.org)

The Ukrainian Defense Industry and Europe’s Untapped Arsenal

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