Russian Roulette

Max and Maria spoke with Hanna Notte, JP Gresh, and Michael Kimmage at a live CSIS event marking the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This conversation was recorded on February 23, 2026. For the video recording of this event, please go to CSIS.org.

"Putin Had High Hopes for Trump. They Have Been Dashed," by Hanna Notte (The New York Times, February 2026).

Preorder We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West, by Hanna Notte (W.W. Norton & Company, August 2026).

Max and Maria were joined by Andrian Prokip and Tim McDonnell to discuss the relentless Russian bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and what this means for average Ukrainians trying to survive the winter months.

Be sure to explore Tim McDonnell’s newsletter, Semafor Energy.

Max and Maria spoke with Jade McGlynn about her latest report on Ukrainian resistance in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

"Thresholds of Survival: The Resistance in Occupied Ukraine" by Jade McGlynn (January 2026, CSIS.org)

Max and Maria spoke with Adam Entous of The New York Times on his in-depth investigation exploring the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine in 2025.

This conversation was recorded on January 7, 2026.

"The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership" by Adam Entous (The New York Times, December 2025).

Max and Maria spoke with Sergey Radchenko about the state of affairs in peace negotiations over Ukraine as we come to the close of 2025. They discuss the different parties' goals and positions, and how this current round of negotiations compares to the talks in Istanbul at the start of the full-scale invasion back in 2022.

This conversation was recorded on December 12, 2025.

"America's Magical Thinking About Ukraine: A Bad Deal Is Worse Than No Deal," by Sergey Radchenko (Foreign Affairs, December 2025).

"The Talks That Could Have Ended the War in Ukraine: A Hidden History of Diplomacy That Came Up Short — but Holds Lessons for Future Negotiations," by Samuel Charap and Sergey Radchenko (Foreign Affairs, April 2024).