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PODCAST

Russian Roulette

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.

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All Episodes

43:48

The History of Russian Feminism with Julia Loffe

Russian Roulette ·

2026/04/16

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.

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47:27

Eric Ciaramella on How Europe Can Arm Ukraine

Russian Roulette ·

2026/03/05

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

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66:42

Four Years of the War in Ukraine (Live Event)

Russian Roulette ·

2026/02/26

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 &

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48:49

Ukraine's Ongoing Energy Crisis

Russian Roulette ·

2026/02/12

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.

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47:49

Sergey Radchenko on Ukraine Peace Negotiations

Russian Roulette ·

2025/12/18

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

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26:01

The Latest 28-Point Peace Plan for Ukraine

Russian Roulette ·

2025/12/01

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.

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60:02

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

Russian Roulette ·

2025/09/22

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,

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53:10

Chokepoints and Economic Warfare with Edward Fishman

Russian Roulette ·

2025/05/16

Max and Maria spoke with Edward Fishman about his bestselling book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare.

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33:27

Rose Gottemoeller on Negotiating with Russia

Russian Roulette ·

2025/03/17

Max and Maria welcomed Rose Gottemoeller back to the show, to discuss the ongoing negotiations between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. As a former American diplomat who has sat across from the Russians to negotiate international treaties, she shared her insights about what she is watching as this process unfolds.This conversation was recorded on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

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40:38

How Trump's Policies on Russia and Ukraine Are Being...

Russian Roulette ·

2025/03/11

Maria was joined by Tinatin Japaridze and Volodymyr Dubovyk to discuss how post-Soviet countries, particularly Ukraine and the states of the South Caucasus, are reckoning with the Trump administration's positions on the war in Ukraine. This conversation was recorded on Friday, March 7, 2025.

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64:29

The War in Ukraine Three Years On

Russian Roulette ·

2025/02/26

Max and Maria sat down with Michael Kimmage and Dara Massicot for an event in the CSIS studio to discuss the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The conversation took stock of the current situation on the battlefield, the state of affairs within Russia and Ukraine right now, and the diplomatic prospects for the kind of negotiated settlement currently being advocated for by the Trump administration.This conversation was recorded on February 20, 2025. The full video

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65:04

A New Strategy for Containing Russia

Russian Roulette ·

2025/02/21

Max and Maria were recently joined by Michael Kimmage and Jeffrey Mankoff for a live event in the CSIS broadcast studio to discuss the team's recent work outlining a new European strategy for containing Russia. This conversation was recorded on January 30, 2025. For a video recording of this event, please go to CSIS.org.

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28:29

Max and Maria on the Start of U.S.-Russian...

Russian Roulette ·

2025/02/20

On today's episode, Max and Maria give their initial takes on the news that U.S. and Russian negotiators met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 18 to begin efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution to the war in Ukraine, notably without representatives from Ukraine or European nations present. This episode was recorded on February 18, as this story was still developing.

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43:23

Lessons from Soviet Foreign Policy with Sergey Radchenko

Russian Roulette ·

2025/02/06

Max and Maria spoke with historian Sergey Radchenko about his latest book, To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power, and how the study of Soviet foreign policy can help us understand Russia's current approach to global affairs.Sergey's book is available for purchase from Cambridge University Press.

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42:18

What Will Trump 2.0 Mean for the War in Ukraine?

Russian Roulette ·

2024/11/15

Max and Maria speak with Michael Kimmage to take stock of the impact of the recent U.S. elections on the future of the war in Ukraine, and U.S. policy towards Russia."An Outcome 'Up for Grabs': What Can Russia and Ukraine Expect from the Next U.S. Administration?" by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, and Nick Fenton (Center for Strategic and International Studies)

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38:29

Sorin Ioniță and Eto Buziashvili on the Pivotal...

Russian Roulette ·

2024/11/01

Max and Maria spoke with Sorin Ioniță and Eto Buziashvili about the recent election results coming out of Moldova and Georgia. Both of these post-Soviet states find themselves at a geopolitical crossroads, with Russian malign influence campaigns directly impacting their domestic politics.

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42:55

Sanctions and the Russian Energy Industry with Ben...

Russian Roulette ·

2024/10/17

Max and Maria with Ben Cahill and Eddie Fishman about the current state of Russia's energy industry, and the prospects for the country's lucrative hydrocarbon exports. They also assessed the impacts of Western sanctions on the industry to date and ways those sanctions could potentially be tightened going forward. This conversation was recorded on October 7, 2024.Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare by Edward Fishman is available for pre-order now (Penguin Random House).

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41:00

Ukrainian Resistance in the Occupied Territories with...

Russian Roulette ·

2024/07/29

Max and Maria sat down with Jade McGlynn to discuss her recent report for CSIS, "Crossing Thresholds: Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Occupation.""Crossing Thresholds: Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Occupation," by Jade McGlynn on CSIS.org. "The Ukrainian resistance is torching Putin's dreams of conquest," by Jade McGlynn for The Telegraph.

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48:10

A Sanctions Update with Eddie Fishman and Sergey...

Russian Roulette ·

2024/06/27

Maria recently sat down with sanctions expert Eddie Fishman and economist Sergey Aleksashenko to provide a timely update on the evolving sanctions regime leveled against Russia. (Recorded on June 18, 2024.)

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63:09

Understanding the Growing Collaboration Between...

Russian Roulette ·

2024/06/14

This week, Max sat down for a public conversation with Hanna Notte and Jon B. Alterman to discuss how the governments of Russia and Iran have strengthened their political, economic, and security collaboration since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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