Russian Roulette

Epizode

• How Drone Innovation Reshapes the Battlefield in Ukraine with Kate Bondar 26.06.2026 39min

  Max and Maria sit down with Kate Bondar, Senior Fellow at CSIS’s Wadhwani AI Center and expert on autonomous warfare, to discuss the role of drones in combat in Ukraine, including Russia’s innovation tactics and takeaways from the recent increase in strikes on Moscow and Kyiv.   Mentioned:  How Russia Is Building a Sovereign Drone Ecosystem for AI-Driven Autonomy | CSIS report by Kate Bondar  Defining Autonomy: Why Software, Not Drones, Will Decide the Next War | CSIS report by Kate Bondar and Matt Mande  Russia Is Building Tomorrow’s War Machine | Kate Bondar in The New York Times  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile  
• Dr. Nina Khrushcheva: History, Evolution, and a View from Inside Russia 11.06.2026 43min

  Max and Maria sit down with Dr. Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School and one of the world’s leading experts on Russia, to discuss her new Russian‑language book Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (“Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System”) and her experience as one of the few scholars still traveling to and from Russia. As Nikita Khrushchev’s great‑granddaughter and adoptive granddaughter, she offers a rare, personal view of how Russian culture, politics, and society are evolving. Mentioned:  No Exit from Stalin | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Project Syndicate (April 2026)  Russia’s Descent Into Tyranny: How Four Years of War Have Remade Society | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Foreign Affairs (Dec. 2025)  Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System) | Book by Nina L. Khrushcheva  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile 
• Shifting Tides in Ukraine - Lawrence Freedman on the Future of the War 29.05.2026 33min

  Max and Maria welcome Sir Lawrence Freedman, historian, author, and Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine, how he sees the conflict evolving, and what to expect in the critical months ahead. Is Ukraine winning the drone race? by Sir Lawrence Freedman  Link to Substack: Comment is Freed   Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile  
• War, Inflation, and Putin's Paranoia: has Russian Public Opinion Begun to Shift? 14.05.2026 41min

  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. 
• The Ukrainian Defense Industry and Europe’s Untapped Arsenal 30.04.2026 42min

  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 History of Russian Feminism with Julia Ioffe 23.04.2026 43min

  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.
• How the Iran War and the Price of Oil Impact the Kremlin's Calculus 02.04.2026 48min

  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.
• BONUS EPISODE: What the Iran War Means for Russia 20.03.2026 18min

  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.
• Transnational Corruption in Foreign Policy Today 20.03.2026 53min

  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)
• Eric Ciaramella on How Europe Can Arm Ukraine 05.03.2026 47min

  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).
• Four Years of the War in Ukraine (Live Event) 26.02.2026 1h 6min

  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).
• Ukraine's Ongoing Energy Crisis 12.02.2026 48min

  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.
• Thresholds of Survival: The Latest Report on Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Occupation by Jade McGlynn 22.01.2026 45min

  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)
• Adam Entous on U.S.-Ukraine Relations in 2025 08.01.2026 1h 20min

  Max and Maria spoke with Adam Entous of The New York Times on his in-depth investigation exploring the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine in 2025. This conversation was recorded on January 7, 2026. "The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership" by Adam Entous (The New York Times, December 2025).
• Sergey Radchenko on Ukraine Peace Negotiations 18.12.2025 47min

  Max and Maria spoke with Sergey Radchenko about the state of affairs in peace negotiations over Ukraine as we come to the close of 2025. They discuss the different parties' goals and positions, and how this current round of negotiations compares to the talks in Istanbul at the start of the full-scale invasion back in 2022. This conversation was recorded on December 12, 2025. "America's Magical Thinking About Ukraine: A Bad Deal Is Worse Than No Deal," by Sergey Radchenko (Foreign Affairs, December 2025). "The Talks That Could Have Ended the War in Ukraine: A Hidden History of Diplomacy That Came Up Short — but Holds Lessons for Future Negotiations," by Samuel Charap and Sergey Radchenko (Foreign Affairs, April 2024).
• The Latest 28-Point Peace Plan for Ukraine 01.12.2025 26min

  Max speaks with Michael Kimmage about his immediate reactions to the new 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, and the rapid-fire diplomacy taking place in response to its release. This conversation was recorded on November 24, 2025.
• The Increased Level of Repressions Within the Russian Elite 20.11.2025 45min

  Max and Maria spoke with Nikolay Petrov and Mikhail Troitskiy, two leading experts on the contemporary Russian elite, to discuss the current status of this ruling group inside Russia today, and why it finds itself increasingly under pressure from state security organs. This conversation was recorded on November 13, 2025. "Отцы и дѣти: Генеалогическое исследование российской власти" (Proekt.media, November 2025) "Transition without a successor: The transformation of Putin’s regime," by Vladimir Pastukhov and Nikolay Petrov (NEST, September 2025) "Managing multiple audiences: dual-track signals and the silencing of Russia’s globalized elites before the invasion of Ukraine," by Mikhail Troitskiy (Post-Soviet Affairs, June 2025)
• Russian and Ukrainian Battlefield Adaptations with Dara Massicot and Kateryna Bondar 10.11.2025 1h 4min

  Max and Maria had a livestreamed conversation in the CSIS Brack Studio with Dara Massicot and Kateryna Bondar to discuss Russian and Ukrainian battlefield adaptations and technological innovations. This conversation took place on November 5, 2025. A video recording is available at CSIS.org. "How Russia Recovered: What the Kremlin Is Learning From the War in Ukraine" by Dara Massicot (Foreign Affairs, October 2025) "How and Why Ukraine's Military Is Going Digital" by Kateryna Bondar (CSIS.org, October 2025) "Russia's War in Ukraine: The Next Chapter" by Max Bergmann and Maria Snegovaya (CSIS.org, September 2025)  
• The Impact of New Sanctions and Ukrainian Deep Strikes on the Russian Energy Industry with Clayton Seigle 25.10.2025 43min

  Max and Maria spoke with Clayton Seigle about how new sanctions from the Trump administration could potentially impact Russian energy revenues. Additionally, they discussed the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries. This conversation was recorded on October 23, 2025.
• The 2025 Moldovan Parliamentary Elections 21.10.2025 50min

  Max and Maria spoke with Leah Kieff and Vlad Lupan about the outcomes of the recent Moldovan parliamentary elections at the end of September, and why they're significant for both Moldova, and the broader region. This conversation was recorded on October 14, 2025.