logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
57m 6s

What Just Happened in Russia This Weeken...

The Ringer
About this episode

University of Chicago professor Paul Poast breaks down Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion, Vladimir Putin's weakness, Russia's military incompetence, and the long-term implications of Saturday's bizarre 36-hour rebellion.

If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. You can find us on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_Host: Derek Thompson

Guest: Paul Poast

Producer: Devon Manze

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Today
The Future of Entertainment, Part 1: Is Hollywood's Business Model Broken?
The film and TV business has quietly—or, if you work in the industry, not so quietly—been in a depression for the past few years. Original TV work has plummeted. In 2024, Americans bought about 40 percent fewer movie tickets than they did in 2019, the year before the pandemic. Th ... Show More
46m 22s
Oct 7
Why Money Doesn't Buy Happiness in America
America is rich—richer than ever. Yet Americans are more anxious, lonelier, and less satisfied than people in many poorer nations. The 2025 World Happiness Report ranked the U.S. 24th in life satisfaction, its lowest on record. Maybe, as social scientists say, we’ve traded commun ... Show More
48m 38s
Oct 3
Is AI Really About to Solve Human Disease?
I’ve had the privilege of talking to many brilliant people about artificial intelligence. And when you ask them to imagine the most beneficial consequences of this technology, they almost always give the same answer: medicine. The dream is dazzling. Superintelligent AI will cure ... Show More
53m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
US, Russia Make Historic Prisoner Swap
Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan are in US custody after a massive prisoner swap with Russia. It involves 26 people and seven countries. Nothing close to this has happened since the end of the Cold War. Our CNN correspondents are in place across the world working their ... Show More
54m 28s
Feb 2025
Vatever you vant, Vladimir
Kremlin defender Tulsi Gabbard is the US’s new spy chief, while the US and Russia are holding peace talks without European and Ukrainian officials at the table. The vibe has officially shifted.This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by La ... Show More
28m 14s
Jul 30
Will Trump Shift the Balance in Ukraine?
Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, joins FP Live to assess the Trump administration’s shifting policies on Ukraine and how that could impact the ongoing war. McFaul is currently a professor at Stanford University and writes the McFaul’s World newsletter. Michael ... Show More
42m 49s
Feb 2025
Vance Threatens Military Action to Push Russia on Ukraine Deal
A.M. Edition for Feb. 14. Vice President JD Vance tells the Journal that the U.S. could send troops to Ukraine if Moscow fails to negotiate to end the war there in good faith. But President Trump’s decision to hold direct talks with Russia is a win for President Vladimir Putin, a ... Show More
12m 30s
Sep 10
NATO Planes Shoot Down Russian Drones Over Poland
A.M. Edition for Sept. 10. Russian drones went further into NATO-territory than ever before during the Ukraine war, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calling the attack a large-scale provocation. WSJ editor Dan Michaels details the allied response and what we know so far. Pl ... Show More
11m 11s
Jul 14
How Trump's New Ukraine Weapons Deal Works
Donald Trump is putting the pressure on Russia today, announcing a new weapons deal for Ukraine. David Shimer, former director of Russian Affairs at the US National Security Council under President Biden, and Ivo Daalder, former US Ambassador to NATO, join the show to discuss. Al ... Show More
58m 34s
Aug 7
Exiled Russian Journalist Mikhail Zygar
The presidents of Russia and the United States will soon meet face to face, a big coup for Putin, who has been boycotted by Western leaders since invading Ukraine. And even President Trump admits his envoy's visit to Moscow this week yielded no concrete result. Trump has long bel ... Show More
56m 3s
Feb 2022
Are We Crazy To Think Putin Is Crazy?
The Russian President is tough, cruel and ambitious. But now that he's suffered setbacks, we're hearing he's also mad.On Todays Show Mike considers how useful it is to dwell on Putin's mental health and how accurate it is to tell ourselves that the Ukrainian resistance is indomit ... Show More
33m 49s
May 2024
Why Chasiv Yar is so important to Ukraine & analysing the battle for Donbas
Day 797. Today, we discuss the heavy fighting in the East as Russia approaches Chasiv Yar, we report on the inauguration of Vladimir Putin in Moscow and analyse Ukraine’s manpower crisis.  David Knowles (Head of Audio Development). @djknowles22 on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Ed ... Show More
50m 49s
Jul 4
Trump’s bill victory, Putin call, Ukraine and Diogo Jota
US President Donald Trump's tax-cut legislation clears its final hurdle in the U.S. Congress – we look at how he persuaded hawks and skeptics. After a “disappointing” call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump is set to speak to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Plus, Liverpo ... Show More
11m 22s