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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 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)

Russian and Ukrainian Battlefield Adaptations with Dara Massicot and Kateryna Bondar

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 Impact of New Sanctions and Ukrainian Deep Strikes on the Russian Energy Industry with Clayton Seigle

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.

The 2025 Moldovan Parliamentary Elections

Max sat down with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee to talk about their new CSIS paper, "Guns and Oil: Continuity and Change in Russia-India Relations." They delve into the history of the Russia-India relationship, how it's been impacted by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and what to watch for going forward.

"Guns and Oil: Continuity and Change in Russia-India Relations," by Tina Dolbaia, Vasabjit Banerjee, and Amanda Southfield (August 2025, CSIS)

The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee

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

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 power vertical.

The Russian Elite Today -- with Michael Nacke and Nikolai Petrov

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