The Long View

The Kennan Institute

The Long View explores ideas, long-form arguments, and the space where public debate meets rigorous research. The series examines the former Soviet Union and the global policy questions it raises, bringing scholars and practitioners into conversation. Through interviews and discussions, The Long View connects academic insight with real-world relevance, continuing the Kennan Institute’s tradition of clear, accessible analysis.

  1. 5d ago

    #029 - Russia's Civil-Military Relations with Kirill Shamiev

    How does the relationship between political authority and military power shape Russia’s foreign policy and strategic decisions? In this episode of The Long View, Kennan Institute Director Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman speak with Kirill Shamiev, of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and a Kennan Institute non-resident fellow, about his book, Imperfect Equilibrium: Civil-Military Relations in Russian Defense Policymaking. The conversation examines the historical evolution of Russia’s civil-military relations, from the Soviet period through the political and institutional upheavals of the 1990s and into the present. Shamiev explores how the decline of military prestige following the Soviet Union’s collapse, the experience of conflicts such as the wars in Chechnya, and the changing relationship between political and military leadership have shaped Russian defense policymaking. Together, they consider how these historical developments continue to influence Russia’s strategic thinking, foreign policy, and approach to military power. 🔴 One Year of Independence. Fifty-Two Years Strong. For 52 years, the Kennan Institute has advanced rigorous scholarship and public dialogue on Russia and Eurasia. As we approach our first anniversary of independence, your support helps sustain the research and conversations that make this work possible. Support the Kennan Institute:https://www.kennaninstitute.org/giving

    #029 - Russia's Civil-Military Relations with Kirill Shamiev

  2. 6d ago

    #028 - Russia's Borderlands with Howard Amos

    What can the experiences of ordinary Russians reveal about the country’s imperial past and contemporary identity? In this episode of The Long View, Kennan Institute Director Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman speak with journalist and author Howard Amos about his book, Russia Starts Here: Real Lives in the Ruins of Empire. Drawing on his reporting and personal connections to the Pskov region, Amos explores Russia beyond its major political and cultural centers, examining the lives of individuals shaped by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the legacies of empire, and decades of political and social transformation. The conversation considers the influence of historical memory on Russian identity, the contrasting realities of everyday life, and the importance of regional perspectives for understanding Russia’s political trajectory and relationship with the wider world. By looking beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, Amos offers a more nuanced understanding of Russian society and the historical forces that continue to shape it. 🔴 One Year of Independence. Fifty-Two Years Strong. For 52 years, the Kennan Institute has advanced rigorous scholarship and public dialogue on Russia and Eurasia. As we approach our first anniversary of independence, your support helps sustain the research and conversations that make this work possible. Support the Kennan Institute:https://www.kennaninstitute.org/giving

    #028 - Russia's Borderlands with Howard Amos

  3. Oct 29

    #027 - Germany Rearmed: The Return of War and the End of Illusions with Liana Fix

    How has Germany’s relationship with military power evolved since World War II, and what does its rearmament mean for the future of Europe? In this episode of The Long View, the Kennan Institute welcomes Liana Fix of the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss her book, Germany Rearmed: The Return of War and the End of Illusions. Challenging conventional assumptions about Germany’s postwar pacifism, Fix examines the country’s military and foreign policy from the Cold War through reunification and the Yugoslav Wars. The conversation explores how historical experiences, political leadership, and shifting European security dynamics shaped Germany’s approach to defense. Against the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Fix considers Germany’s evolving strategic responsibilities, its role within NATO, and the risks and opportunities associated with its renewed emphasis on military power. What does a rearmed Germany mean for European security, and how might its changing military posture reshape the continent’s geopolitical future? 🔴 One Year of Independence. Fifty-Two Years Strong. For 52 years, the Kennan Institute has advanced rigorous scholarship and public dialogue on Russia and Eurasia. As we approach our first anniversary of independence, your support helps sustain the research and conversations that make this work possible. Support the Kennan Institute:https://www.kennaninstitute.org/giving

    #027 - Germany Rearmed: The Return of War and the End of Illusions with Liana Fix

  4. Oct 11

    #026 | Prisoners in the New Cold War with Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson

    What do prisoner exchanges reveal about the changing relationship between Russia and the West? Michael Kimmage is joined by Wall Street Journal journalists Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson to discuss their book, Swap: A Secret History of the New Cold War, an account of the negotiations that culminated in the landmark 2024 prisoner exchange between Russia and the West. Hinshaw and Parkinson examine how prisoners have become instruments of geopolitical leverage, the roles of intelligence operatives and intermediaries in negotiating their release, and the political calculations shaping these exchanges. The conversation explores the practice of detaining and exchanging prisoners in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the complexities of diplomacy between adversaries, and what these negotiations reveal about U.S.-Russia relations amid the war in Ukraine. 📖 Explore Swap: A Secret History of the New Cold War by Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson: https://www.amazon.com/Swap-Secret-History-New-Cold/dp/0063458241 Stay connected with the Kennan Institute. Join our mailing list for new analysis, events, and conversations: https://www.kennaninstitute.org/newsletter

    #026 | Prisoners in the New Cold War with Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson

  5. Sep 23

    #025 - Russian Public Opinion After the Duma Elections with Timothy Frye and Samuel Greene

    How do we know what Russians really think? Timothy Frye of Columbia University and Samuel Greene of King’s College London join Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman for The Long View to examine Russian public opinion following the September Duma elections. Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy at Columbia, while Greene is Professor of Russian Politics at King’s College London.   The conversation explores what the elections can tell us about Russian society, attitudes toward the government and the war in Ukraine, and the relationship between public opinion and political power. Frye and Greene also examine the challenge at the heart of researching contemporary Russia: how can public opinion be measured and interpreted in an authoritarian political environment? They consider the strengths and limitations of polling, elections, and other evidence used to understand what Russians think. Together, the discussion asks not only what Russian public opinion is, but how confidently researchers can assess it and what those findings can tell us about politics and society in Russia. Stay connected with the Kennan Institute. Join our mailing list for new analysis, events, and conversations:https://www.kennaninstitute.org/newsletter

    #025 - Russian Public Opinion After the Duma Elections with Timothy Frye and Samuel Greene

  6. Sep 22

    #024 - Putin's Campaign to Defeat the West with Hanna Notte

    How does Russia’s confrontation with the West extend beyond Europe and the United States? Hanna Notte, a Kennan Institute Non-Resident Fellow and author of We Shall Outlast Them: Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the West, joins Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman for The Long View to examine the global dimensions of Russian foreign policy. Drawing on research and travel across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Notte explores how Russia’s war against Ukraine has transformed Moscow’s relationships around the world. She examines Russia’s use of economic statecraft, political narratives, and international partnerships, as well as how countries outside the West respond to Russian overtures according to their own interests. The conversation considers how the war has reshaped Russia’s global strategy, the limits of Moscow’s influence, and what Russia’s engagement beyond Europe and the United States reveals about a changing international order. 📖 Featured Book: We Shall Outlast Them: Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the Westhttps://wwnorton.com/books/9781324117018 Stay connected with the Kennan Institute. Join our mailing list for new analysis, events, and conversations:https://www.kennaninstitute.org/newsletter

    #024 - Putin's Campaign to Defeat the West with Hanna Notte

  7. Sep 16

    #023 - How War Reshaped Russia's Elite with Alexandra Prokopenko

    How has Russia’s war against Ukraine transformed the people who govern the country? Alexandra Prokopenko of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center joins Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman to discuss her book, From Sovereigns to Servants: How the War Against Ukraine Reshaped Russia’s Elite. Tracing Russian governance from the 1990s to the present, Prokopenko examines how members of Russia’s political elite have lost political agency under Vladimir Putin and increasingly become implementers of decisions made at the top. The conversation explores the patterns of loyalty and compliance that sustain the system, the role of informal practices in Russian governance, the rise of younger technocrats, and how the full-scale invasion of Ukraine accelerated changes already underway within Russia’s ruling elite. Together, they consider what these transformations reveal about power, decision-making, and governance in contemporary Russia.

    #023 - How War Reshaped Russia's Elite with Alexandra Prokopenko

  8. Sep 13

    #022 - Mapping Eurasia: Russia's Geopolitics

    What does “Eurasia” mean for understanding Russia? Michael Kimmage is joined by Ayşe Zarakol of Cambridge University and Alexander Cooley of Barnard College to explore the historical, political, and geopolitical meanings of Eurasia and what they reveal about Russia’s place within it. Zarakol considers Russia through the history and shared legacies of Eurasia’s steppe empires, while cautioning against defining Russia exclusively as Eurasian and overlooking its European heritage and political agency. Cooley traces the changing meaning of Eurasia in foreign policy, particularly since the end of the Cold War and amid shifting approaches to Western influence and regional integration. Together, they explore how competing ideas of Eurasia have shaped understandings of Russia and the geopolitical configurations surrounding it. Stay connected with the Kennan Institute. Join our mailing list for new analysis, events, and conversations:https://www.kennaninstitute.org/newsletter

    #022 - Mapping Eurasia: Russia's Geopolitics
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About

The Long View explores ideas, long-form arguments, and the space where public debate meets rigorous research. The series examines the former Soviet Union and the global policy questions it raises, bringing scholars and practitioners into conversation. Through interviews and discussions, The Long View connects academic insight with real-world relevance, continuing the Kennan Institute’s tradition of clear, accessible analysis.

Information

  • Creator
    The Kennan Institute
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Kennan Institute
  • Show Website
    The Long View

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