Russian Roulette Podcast
1) 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...Show More
2) 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 territor...Show More
3) Max and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace Summits
Max and Maria give their takes on the recent efforts to negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. They analyze the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, and then the meeting between...Show More
4) Has Putinism Failed? A Conversation with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev
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...Show More
5) Max and Michael Kimmage Catch Up on All Things Russia and Ukraine
This week, Max spoke with Michael Kimmage about the recent headlines connected to Russia and Ukraine, and what they mean for the coming months. "The Limits of Putin's Balancing Act: What the Kremlin ...Show More
6) Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Geopolitics in the South Caucasus
Max and Maria are joined by Richard Giragosian and Jeffrey Mankoff to talk about the current geopolitical moment in the South Caucasus, with a particular focus on the dynamics at play in the relations...Show More
7) Hanna Notte on What the Israel-Iran War Means for Russia
Hanna Notte returns to the show for a conversation with Max and Maria about what the most recent round of hostilities between Israel and Iran, plus the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, mean...Show More
8) Bonus Episode: The Russian Wartime Economy (Live Event Recording)
Max moderated a live panel discussion with Maria, and two leading experts on the Russian economy, Elina Ribakova and Vladislav Inozemtsev. The conversation focused on the findings of the recent report...Show More
9) A Battlefield Update from Mike Kofman
Max and Maria get another update from military expert Mike Kofman on the state of the frontlines in Ukraine. This conversation was recorded on June 11, 2025. "The Russian Wartime Economy: From Suga...Show More
10) The Ukrainian Economy Today with Elina Ribakova
Elina Ribakova returned to the show to speak with Max and Maria about the evolution of the Ukrainian economy since February 2022.