Max and Donatienne discuss the second round of the Romanian presidential election, Portugal’s parliamentary election, and a new EU-UK deal on post-Brexit relations. Then they turn to a conversation with Jana Puglierin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and head of its Berlin office, to discuss the priorities of the new German government.

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 Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

On this episode, Max and Donatienne cover the first round of the Romanian presidential election, where George Simion, a hard-right candidate, soared to a first-place finish ahead of the second round on May 18. Since recording this episode on May 5th, major developments, including the resignation and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and rapid capital flight, have sparked a political crisis. This story is still developing.

The hosts then break down British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with the European Union ahead of a May 19 Brexit summit, and welcome Abe Newman, professor in the School of Foreign Service and Government Departments at Georgetown University and Director of the BMW Center for German and European Studies, for a conversation about coming collisions in transatlantic tech.

In this week's episode, Max and Donatienne cover Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Washington and the state of transatlantic relations as we approach the 100-day mark of the second Trump presidency.

Then, they are joined by Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme and a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), to break down how big changes in US trade policy and rising transatlantic tensions affect the EU-China trade and diplomatic relationship.

Following announcements from President Donald Trump of sweeping new tariffs, Max and Donatienne discuss the fallout from last week’s “Liberation Day” with economist and international trade expert, Federico Steinberg: a Visiting Fellow with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Prince of Asturias Distinguished Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. This episode dives deeply into the impact of these tariffs and what may come next for Europe.

This week, Max and Donatienne discuss the state of Turkey’s democracy after the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor days before becoming presidential candidate, the latest European Council meeting and a new EU white paper for European defense. Then, our hosts turn to a conversation with Tom Wright, senior fellow at Brookings and former Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the United States National Security Council (NSC) in the Biden administration, to discuss his recent article in Foreign Affairs outlining a U.S. strategy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations.

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Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

The Right U.S. Strategy for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations | Foreign Affairs

In this week's episode, Max and Donatienne discuss the state of Germany’s post-election politics, including the future of the debt brake and upcoming coalition talks, and highlight the latest European Council meeting, European security, and Ukraine. Then, Max shares his key takeaways from a visit to Brussels before turning to a conversation with Phil Luck, director of the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business, to discuss a looming transatlantic trade fight.

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Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

In a special crossover episode with CSIS's The Truth of the Matter, Max Bergmann joins Andrew Schwartz to debrief his recent trip to meet with European diplomats in Brussels and Paris and discuss a possible United States divorce from our allies in Europe.

Economic disputes, defense spending disagreements, and differing approaches to Russia and China have further widened the gap between the transatlantic allies. This episode dives into new developments as European leaders question the long-term reliability of U.S. commitments to NATO and regional security, as well as the impact on European allies as Washington shifts its strategic focus toward the Indo-Pacific. 

Max and Donatienne break down the results of German election and discuss what a new government could mean for the Germany's economic trajectory. They then welcome Sander Tordoir, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, to discuss Germany’s economic malaise and preview how a new German government may impact the European economy.

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Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

In this crossover episode with the Truth of the Matter, Max Bergmann joins Host Andrew Schwartz to discuss the current state of European security, the potential for a U.S.-Europe tech war, how Ukraine negotiations might evolve, and more.

Max and Donatienne discuss how the EU can respond to Trump’s tariffs and whether EU doomerism is overstated. They then turn to a conversation with Anu Bradford, Professor of Law and International Organization at Columbia Law School, to discuss how Washington and Brussels might clash over tech regulation in the second Trump administration. 

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Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts