Russian Roulette

Max and Maria are joined by Michael Kimmage to unpack the latest developments in Ukraine through a Washington lens. They discuss how the U.S’s role in peace negotiations has shifted, whether the midterms are likely to change Washington’s policy toward Ukraine, and draw on historical parallels to asses how the war is most likely to end.

Guests:

Michael Kimmage | director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center; professor of history at the Catholic University of America; non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution

Mentioned:

Trump Is Still Chasing His Yalta. Here’s What He Doesn’t Get– Opinion Guest Essay in the New York Times by Michael Kimmage

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

The U.S. has eased sanctions on Russian diesel while Ukraine has accused Washington of withholding intelligence and throttling access to its Starlink and Starshield networks. Is the U.S turning its back on Kyiv? What does growing uncertainty of U.S. support mean on the ground in Ukraine?

Jana Kobzová and Maksym Skypchenko join Max Bergmann to discuss the situation on the ground in Ukraine, where U.S.-Ukraine relations stand, and what the future of peace negotiations may hold as the war intensifies.

Guests:

Jana Kobzová | Co-director of the European Security Programme and Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations

Maksym Skypchenko | President, Transatlantic Dialogue Center

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

Hanna Notte, author of We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West, sat down LIVE with Max and Maria for a wide-ranging discussion of Russia's evolving global strategy and what its confrontation with the West means for the future of international order.Hanna joined the show to discuss her new book, We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West, a panoramic account of a Russia grown increasingly outward-facing, and of the changing international landscape in which it now operates. Drawing on reporting and analysis from more than a dozen countries, Notte traces how the Kremlin has adapted its foreign policy, built new partnerships, navigated sanctions, and expanded its influence across the Global South. From the halls of the United Nations to military bases, presidential palaces, and tense borderlands, she explores the people and institutions advancing Russia's agenda, as well as the activists, refugees, and whistleblowers living with its consequences.In this episode, they break down how Russia's war in Ukraine has evolved into a wider contest over the global order. The full event is available on demand HERE.Guest:

Hanna Notte | director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; senior associate (non-resident) with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program

We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West | Book by Hanna Notte

Hanna Notte on Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West | Russian Roulette | CSIS Virtual Event (October 6, 2026)

Mentioned: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. You may enjoy our sister podcast, The Eurofile — where we look at the key issues affecting Europe through a Washington lens.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Western policymakers have faced a recurring dilemma: how much escalation risk is acceptable in pursuit of a Ukrainian battlefield advantage?

Samuel Charap and Mick Ryan join Maria Snegovaya to discuss whether Western fears of escalation systematically delayed critical military aid, how to weigh battlefield support against diplomatic engagement, and what victory for Ukraine might actually look like — including how different U.S. administrations have approached each of these questions.

Guests:

Dr. Samuel Charap | Distinguished Chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy, Senior Political Scientist, RAND

Major General (ret.) Mick Ryan | Senior Fellow in Military Studies, Lowy Institute

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

Max Bergmann is joined by Hanna Notte and Natasha Hall to map the escalation risks, assess Russia's shifting military and diplomatic footprint in Syria under the new government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, and parse what a surprise CIA visit to Moscow reveals about where this global realignment is heading. Along the way, they examine Ukrainian strikes on Iranian vessels, allegations that Moscow is feeding Tehran intelligence on U.S. positions, and what a deepening Russia-Iran economic partnership means for the wider region.

Guests:

Hanna Notte | director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; senior associate (non-resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program, CSIS

Natasha Hall | senior advocate for the Middle East, Refugees International; Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Program, Chatham House; senior associate (non-resident), Middle East Program, CSIS

Mentioned:

Resilience Through Linkage: Russia, Iran, and Aspirations for North–South Trade – CSIS Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, and Nicholas Fenton

We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West – Book by Hanna Notte

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