When Russia botched its invasion of Ukraine and the West quickly came together in support of Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power appeared shakier than ever. Last summer, an attempted coup even seemed to threaten his rule. But today, Putin looks confident. With battlefield progress in Ukraine and political turmoil ahead of the U.S. election ... Show More
Nov 6
Xi Jinping’s World of Treachery and Sacrifice
<p>Last week’s meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping may have brought a respite in the trade war. But it hardly touched the more fundamental drivers of U.S.-Chinese rivalry, a rivalry that has come to shape more and more dimensions of geopolitics, the global economy, and be ... Show More
56m 45s
Jul 2023
Russia After the Rebellion
<p>Last month, a rebellion inside Russia left lingering questions about what really happened and about what the ramifications would be for President Vladimir V. Putin.</p><p>Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The Times, discusses what Mr. Putin has done since the muti ... Show More
30m 24s
Dec 2021
Why Ukraine Matters to Vladimir Putin
<p>The Russian military is on the move toward the border with Ukraine, with American intelligence suggesting that Moscow is preparing for an offensive involving some 175,000 troops.</p><p>Could the moves herald a full-scale invasion? And if so, what is driving President Vladimir ... Show More
26m 2s
Aug 2022
How Russia sees itself, with Orlando Figes
As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues, the historian Orlando Figes’s latest book considers how Russia and its rulers see the country.
He speaks to Alix Kroeger about why his book is called The Story of Russia, rather than The History of Russia, what drives Vladimir Putin and the l ... Show More
23m 58s
Feb 2022
Putin hangs nuclear Sword of Damocles over Europe
One day after Vladimir Putin put his nuclear deterrent forces on high alert, Russia bombarded Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, and explosions were heard in Kyiv, the capital. Yet Putin's war doesn't seem to be going as far and fast as planned. Christiane discusses the mili ... Show More
56m 10s