Max and Donatienne discuss the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a new Dutch government. They then turn to a conversation with Jude Blanchette, Distinguished Tang Chair in China Research and Director of the RAND China Research Center, to discuss the state of play in Europe’s China policy.

(00:00) Intro

(00:45) Russia-Ukraine war

(09:11) New Dutch government

(14:39) Jude Blanchette 

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Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

Russia-Ukraine War in 10 Charts

Max and Donatienne preview this week’s Munich Security Forum before turning to Max's conversation with Marcus Roberts, CEO of Mandate, to discuss European polling trends and what they portend for the year ahead.

(00:00) Intro 

(01:03) MSC Preview 

(14:24) Marcus Roberts 

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Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 

Max and Donatienne discuss last week's World Economic Forum in Davos, which was dominated by President Trump's tariff threats over Greenland. They then turn to a conversation with Rick Rossow, senior adviser and Chair in India and Emerging Asia Economics at CSIS, about the newly announced EU-India free trade agreement.

(00:00) Intro

(00:51) Davos recap

(20:22) Rick Rossow

Learn more:

Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 

Max and Donatienne discuss recent comments by EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius about the creation of a European standing army. Then, they turn to a conversation with Michael Kofman, senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about Europe’s role in the war in Ukraine.

(00:00) Intro

(00:49) European standing army

(09:45) Greenland

Learn more:

Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

Max and Donatienne discuss last month’s European Council meeting, where leaders failed to agree on the MERCOSUR trade deal but secured continued funding to Ukraine; the mounting US-EU tech fight after the EU fined X for breaching digital safety rules; and the Trump administration’s increasing pressure on Greenland.

(00:00) Intro

(01:18) December EUCO Review

(14:11) US-EU Tech Fight

(20:37) Greenland

Learn more: 

Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 

Max and Donatienne discuss recent comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declaring the end of ‘Pax Americana’. Then, they preview a high-stakes European Council meeting, where leaders will discuss the Mercosur trade deal and the European Commission’s proposal to leverage frozen Russian assets to provide a crucial loan to Ukraine.  Finally, they turn to a conversation with Dr. Thu Nguyen, Acting Co-Director of the Jacques Delors Centre, to discuss the state of democracy in the EU. 

(00:00) Intro

(02:05) Friedrich Merz ‘Pax Americana’ Speech

(05:19) Frozen Russian Assets Loan

(13:13) Mercosur Trade Deal

(19:00) Interview with Thu Nguyen

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Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

Max Bergmann sits down with Abraham Newman and Kristine Berzina for a rapid-reaction conversation about the newly released U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), its implications for the European security landscape, and the key clash at the forefront of transatlantic tech relations.  The live video episode was recorded on Monday, December 9, 2025.

Abraham Newman is the director of the BMW Center for German and European Studies and John Powers Chair in International Business Diplomacy at Georgetown University. Kristine Berzina is a senior fellow for U.S. Defense and Transatlantic Security at the German Marshall Fund in Washington DC.

Watch the live event on demand here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFS5L81uzfA 

Reach out to our team with any questions affecting Europe, or to share feedback on the show. We want to hear from you!

Email: [email protected]    

X:   @csiserep      

Bluesky: @erep.csis.org 

Max and Donatienne discuss the latest peace negotiations to secure an end to the war in Ukraine.  They also cover ongoing talks about implementation of the US–EU trade deal, after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with their EU counterparts in Brussels. Then, they turn to a conversation with Cecilia Malmström, former EU Commissioner for Trade and Home Affairs, to discuss the European Union’s trade agenda. 

(00:00) Intro 

(00:56) Ukraine Peace Negotiations 

(11:50) Lutnick and Greer in Brussels 

(18:50) Interview with Cecilia Malmström 

Learn more:  

Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 

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.

Learn more:

Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 

Max and Donatienne discuss a recent vote in the European Parliament where the center-right European People’s Party voted with the far right to approve cuts to EU green rules. Then, they turn to a conversation with Federico Steinberg and Nicolas Véron about the euro and Europe's economic future.

(00:00) Intro

(00:42) European Parliament vote on EU green rules

(17:10) Interview with Federico Steinberg and Nicolas Véron

Learn more:  

Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 

Is a New Era Emerging for the Euro? | The Eurofile