Russian Roulette

4.8 (135)
POLITICS
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Hosted by Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovaya of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS, Russian Roulette explores the politics, history, and complex societies of Russia and Eurasia. Tune in for fascinating interviews and discussions on some of the biggest questions facing the broader post-Soviet space. Produced by Tina Dolbaia and Nick Fenton.

3D AGO

Russian and Ukrainian Battlefield Adaptations with Dara Massicot and Kateryna Bondar

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)

1h 4m
OCT 25

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

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.

43 min
OCT 21

The 2025 Moldovan Parliamentary Elections

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.

51 min
OCT 7

The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee

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)

46 min
SEP 22

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

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)

1 hr
SEP 4

Jade McGlynn with an Update from Ukraine

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).

45 min
AUG 21

Max and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace Summits

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.

27 min
AUG 7

Has Putinism Failed? A Conversation with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev

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.

46 min

See All (145)

4.8

out of 5

135 Ratings

Audio?

02/26/2023

female victim

Great content but sometimes hard to follow because the audio is lacking.
September 2025

Sep 23

Geoplanter

My favorite part of the show is the theme music! I imagine Maria dancing to the music, Go-Go Style, in a 1960s mini-skirt!
Great wisdom

Mar 1

QE Infinity

The informed and professional people on this show bring a high level of thoughtful discussion.
Expand Access

04/12/2021

emma hopewell

To truly diversify the field ask public school systems to diversify their world language course offerings. A language like Russian needs to be offered in middle school so that high school students can achieve some intermediate level of skill before college. More traditionally taught languages have a monopoly on language instruction in schools. Until access expands beyond elite school systems, diversity will be difficult to achieve in area studies programs.

Hosted by Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovaya of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS, Russian Roulette explores the politics, history, and complex societies of Russia and Eurasia. Tune in for fascinating interviews and discussions on some of the biggest questions facing the broader post-Soviet space. Produced by Tina Dolbaia and Nick Fenton.