After a long hiatus, Russian Roulette is back! For our first episode after our time away, listen in to a conversation Max and Maria recently had at CSIS in Washington, DC. 

Following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, The US, EU, and their partners imposed severe sanctions on the Russian economy. Sanctions of this scale and scope are unprecedented in recent history, and have major potential implications not just for the course of the war in Ukraine, but also for Russia's broader geopolitical position. 

Max and Maria hosted held a wide-ranging conversation on this topic, and they were joined by our CSIS colleague and global energy market expert, Ben Cahill. Additionally, we welcomed Dr. Sergey Aleksashenko, a Russian economist and Member of the Board of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, and the Board of the Free Russia Foundation. 

This event and podcast episode was made possible through the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

After a long hiatus, Russian Roulette is back! 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.

In this final episode of the year, Heather sits down Masha Gessen, a Russian-American journalist, author, translator and activist, and staff writer for The New Yorker. They discuss Masha’s piece “Can Russia’s Press Ever Be Free?” as well as the current state and future of journalism, society, and freedom of expression in Russia. Masha’s latest article and other pieces can be found here: www.newyorker.com/contributors/masha-gessen 

If you are interested in all things NATO, listen to Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program’s new podcast “NATO’s Road to Madrid” here: www.csis.org/podcasts/natos-road-madrid

Although we gladly bid farewell to all the challenges that 2021 presented, we sadly note that this is the final episode of Russian Roulette featuring host Heather Conley. Beginning in January 2022, Heather will be the new president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). Don’t worry - we will have guest hosts pick up the mantle in 2022 for another great Russian Roulette series. Until then, we send heartfelt thanks to our podcast guests and listeners for making this such an exciting year of interesting and important conversations. With best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a healthy new year! С наступающим 2022 годом!

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with David Owen, former UK Foreign Secretary from 1977 until 1979 and author of a new book: Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma: Two Hundred Years of British-Russian Relations. They discuss the state of UK-Russia relations starting with a historical overview of the past two hundred years and ending with the future of the difficult relations of today.

Subscribe to Russian Roulette, so you do not miss an episode: www.csis.org/subscribe

Finally, check out the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program’s new podcast “NATO’s Road to Madrid,” which explores how the alliance is approaching the update of its Strategic Concept, the innerworkings of the organization, and how challenges from the inside complicate its ability to respond effectively: www.csis.org/podcasts/natos-road-madrid

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In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather provides a brief overview of a new CSIS report, “Russia’s Climate Gamble: The Pursuit and Contradictions of its Arctic Ambitions,” which examines the implications of climate impacts for Russia’s economy, internal political dynamics, and security posture. Heather then sits down with Felix H. Tschudi, the Chairman and owner of the Tschudi Group, a Norwegian-based global shipping and logistics company with a long history in the Arctic. They discuss Russia’s ambitious plans for transforming the Northern Sea Route (NSR) into a major global shipping corridor, the impact of climate change and environmental activism on the NSR’s viability, and the prospects of China’s Transpolar route.

Check out the Center for High North Logistics to track developments in the High North and along the Northern Sea Route as well as the Marines Exchange of Alaska to track shipping traffic and emerging maritime issues in the Bering Sea as well as Alaska. For further information on the Bering Strait as a maritime passage, check out this CSIS report “Maritime Futures: The Arctic and the Bering Strait Region.”

To learn more about how climate change will reshape Russian politics, economics, and society, explore the recent work by Russian voices on climate change, civil society, and center-region dynamics here. To learn more about military and security issues related to the Arctic, follow CSIS’s Arctic Military Activity tracker for latest Russia and NATO’s military activities in the region.

Finally, subscribe to Russian Roulette, so you do not miss an episode.

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In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Mykola Bielieskov, Ph.D. student at the National Institute for Strategic Studies (NISS), Ukraine, and Natia Seskuria, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). 

We discuss the effectiveness and shortcomings of Russia’s hard and soft power influence tools in Georgia and Ukraine, including its “borderization” policy in Georgia, its “passportization” in Donbas, and the role of the Orthodox Church. Finally, we finish the conversation with recommendations regarding how the West can resist the challenges presented by Russia’s occupation of Georgia and Ukraine’s territories.

Both Natia and Mykola participated in CSIS “Understanding the Russian Military Today” executive education program in June and this episode is inspired by their papers written as part of their independent research. In his paper, Mykola dissects Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine’s borders this spring, while in her paper, Natia focuses on Russia’s “hybrid aggression” and influence tools in Georgia. Definitely check out their papers!

Read Natia’s bio here and follow her on Twitter @nseskuria

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This program was funded by the Russia Strategic Initiative U.S. European Command, Stuttgart Germany. Opinions, arguments, viewpoints, and conclusions expressed in this work do not represent those of RSI, U.S. EUCOM, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Paul Schwartz, research scientist in the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses, and Richard Weitz, senior fellow and director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at Hudson Institute. Paul and Richard are authors of the latest reports focusing on Sino-Russian cooperation, including Russia’s arms transfers to China and Sino-Russian military exercises.

They discuss the strategic conundrum presented by the Sino-Russian military cooperation to the United States. They also examine the costs to Russia of this partnership, the purpose of such cooperation, and whether their relationship is based on alignment or has turned into an alliance.

Paul’s report on Russian military transfers to China can be found here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/changing-nature-and-implications-russian-military-transfers-china

Richard’s report on Chinese-Russian military exercises: https://www.csis.org/analysis/assessing-chinese-russian-military-exercises-past-progress-and-future-trends

You can find Paul’s bio here: https://www.cna.org/experts/Schwartz_P and Richard’s bio here: https://www.hudson.org/experts/433-richard-weitz

Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Andrei Zagorski, Head of Department for Disarmament and Conflict Resolution Studies at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), and Elizabeth Buchanan, Lecturer of Strategic Studies with Deakin University for the Defense and Strategic Studies Course at the Australian War College.

They discuss Russia’s plans for its Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and its broader economic and security policy in the Arctic. They also explore China’s Arctic strategy since the unveiling of its Arctic white paper and shifts in its approach since becoming a permanent observer to the Council in 2013. Lastly, they do some myth-busting regarding the strategic conundrum presented by Sino-Russian cooperation in the Arctic.

If you are interested in learning more about Russia and NATO’s military activities in the region, check out our Arctic Military Activity tracker and read our primers on this important topic: The Ice Curtain: Russia’s Arctic Military Presence and America's Arctic Moment: Great Power Competition in the Arctic to 2050. But importantly, the Arctic region may be one of the few areas where the U.S and Russia can achieve some modest bilateral success.

You can find Dr. Zagorski’s bio here and Dr. Buchanan’s bio here. You can also follow her on Twitter: @BuchananLiz

Stay safe and healthy. 

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Ambassador Dereck J. Hogan, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, who previously served as the Deputy Executive Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires in U.S. Embassy Baku, Azerbaijan, and Nicole B. Aandahl, the director of CSIS’s Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Program, which is dedicated to elevating diverse voices and perspectives to lead to more ideas, more innovation, and more robust policy solutions.

In this two-part episode, we begin the discussion with a focus on Moldova, including the impact of Covid-19, the reform agenda of and political challenges faced by President Maia Sandu’s administration, and the status of the “frozen” conflict in Transnistria. We then turn to a conversation about careers and diversity in the Russia and Eurasia studies field. In this second part of the conversation, Nicole Aandahl and Ambassador Hogan share their experiences in how they became interested in Russian studies, the importance of intentionality and inclusivity in the workplace, and the ways in which allies and mentors can help foster greater diversity among professionals in the field and the policymaking community.

You can find Ambassador Hogan’s bio here: https://md.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ and follow the U.S. Embassy in Moldova on Twitter: https://twitter.com/USembMoldova

You can find Nicole’s bio here: www.csis.org/people/nicole-breland-aandahl If you’re interested in learning more about CSIS’s Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Program, check out the page here: www.csis.org/programs/diversity-and-leadership-international-affairs-project.

Stay safe and healthy. 

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Michael J. Green, senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and director of Asian Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

They discuss the key takeaways from a U.S.-Japan-Russia Track 2 conference in which CSIS participated late last year, the strategic implications of a robust Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad), and the challenges presented by closer Sino-Russian coordination to the U.S. and other Quad members, such as Japan and India. They also explore Russia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific and opportunities for the U.S. to maintain a regional dialogue with Moscow. 

The co-written piece on the Quad mentioned by Heather Conley has been published. You can read it here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/return-quad-will-russia-and-china-form-their-own-bloc

If you’re interested in hearing more from Michael Green, check out his expert page at CSIS.org here: www.csis.org/people/michael-j-green and listen to the podcast he hosts, the Asia Chessboard: https://www.csis.org/podcasts/asia-chessboard

Lastly, you can follow the Japan Chair on Twitter @JapanChair to receive updates on their latest events and analysis.

Stay safe and healthy.