logo
episode-header-image
Aug 7
45m 42s

Has Putinism Failed? A Conversation with...

CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies
About this episode
Max and Maria spoke with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev about the recently released volume, Failure. Russia Under Putin. This conversation was recorded on July 17, 2025. Failure. Russia Under Putin is available now from Bloomsbury Publishing. 
Up next
Oct 7
The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee
Max sat down with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee to talk about their new CSIS paper, "Guns and Oil: Continuity and Change in Russia-India Relations." They delve into the history of the Russia-India relationship, how it's been impacted by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an ... Show More
46m 21s
Sep 22
Michael McFaul on Trump, Putin, and Autocrats vs. Democrats
Max and Maria spoke with Stanford professor and former ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul to talk about his latest book, and where things stand today in U.S.-Russia relations. Pre-order Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFa ... Show More
1 h
Sep 4
Jade McGlynn with an Update from Ukraine
Max had wide-ranging conversation with Jade McGlynn while she was traveling in Ukraine. Topics covered include the Ukrainian war effort, the situation behind the lines in the Russian-occupied territories, and the recent protests in Ukraine against perceived efforts by the Zelensk ... Show More
45m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Why Russians are still backing Putin
Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region of Russia represented another sign that Vladimir Putin’s invasion is not going to plan. But numerous setbacks, and the sanctions regime imposed by the west, have so far failed to loosen the Russian leader’s grip on power. Gideon discusses ... Show More
28m 47s
Mar 2025
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
Kremlin says President Putin has visited a command post in the Kursk region, where Russia has been retaking territory seized by Ukraine last year. Also: Pakistan train hijack over, and 100 days with a titanium heart. 
29m 58s
Dec 2024
Russian general killed in Moscow; the West forges ties with Syria’s regime, and more
Ukraine claimed responsibility for the explosion in Moscow that killed General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear-protection forces. 
3m 47s
Mar 2025
Trump's Deal Will be the End of Ukraine - Andrei Illarionov
Andrei Illarionov is a Russian economist and public figure. He served as a senior policy advisor to Vladimir Putin from 2000 to 2005 but later became a vocal critic of Putin's administration. Follow Andrei on X: https://x.com/AnIllarionov SPONSOR. Go to https://get.stash.com/trig ... Show More
1h 21m
Sep 27
Putin's Nuclear Ambitions, Ukraine Tensions, and Russia's Future
Vladimir Putin BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Vladimir Putin has been at the center of several high-profile events this past week, both on the world stage and domestically. Just days ago, he officially opened the World Atomic Week 2025 in Moscow, hosting dignitaries and indus ... Show More
3m 51s
Sep 9
Understanding Putin's Power
Over the weekend, Russia bombarded Ukraine with the largest drone assault in the war thus far.It’s the latest in a relentless Russian offensive that keeps escalating, despite President Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace.Anatoly Kurmanaev, who covers Russia for The Times, discusse ... Show More
30m 47s
Nov 2024
US Missiles Fired As Putin Threatens WW3 - Feat Benny Johnson
On Monday, Ukraine used western long range missiles inside the territory of Russia for the first time, prompting a slew of both cheers and jeers throughout the world. Some people are happy that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are taking the fight to their enemy’s soil, others are terr ... Show More
43 m
Aug 14
Can Trump get Putin to make a deal?
American Presidents have been trying to manage Russian President Vladimir Putin since the beginning of this century.There was George W. Bush, who met with Putin 28 times.Barack Obama and Putin sat down together 9 times.Joe Biden met with Putin only once.Past presidents had hoped ... Show More
9m 52s
Aug 2023
Strange News: Wagner Leaders in Plane Crash, Fyre Festival, and Modern Moon Missions
Leaders of the notorious Russian mercenary group Wagner are believed to have died in a plane crash north of Moscow just a few months after what appears to have been a rebellion against Russian president Vladimir Putin. Fyre Festival returns, with no sign of Ja Rule. In a big week ... Show More
51m 28s
Jan 2025
Vladimir Kara-Murza: Is Putin vulnerable?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Vladimir Kara-Murza, the anti-Putin activist who was twice poisoned, then imprisoned in Russia. He was freed in a prisoner swap last summer, and is now lobbying the West to intensify the pressure on the Kremlin. But is there any reason to believe Putin is ... Show More
22m 57s