How Ukraine Fights: Reflections from the Front Lines feat. Nate Vance

How Ukraine Fights: Reflections from the Front Lines feat. Nate Vance

Author: CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies August 14, 2026 Duration: 17:55
Maria Snegovaya sits down with Nate Vance — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the 2022 invasion — to discuss Ukrainian and Russian military tactics, life as an infantryman on the front lines, and the impact of Soviet legacies on military culture.   Vance spent three years with the Da Vinci Wolves, seeing action from Bakhmut to Pokrovsk, before leaving in early 2025 when his first cousin JD Vance's rise to the vice presidency made him a potential Russian target.    Mentioned:  Russian Blood and Treasure: The Ballooning Costs of Putin’s War: CSIS Publication by Seth Jones and Riley McCabe      Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile   

Dive deep into the political landscape, historical currents, and rich social fabric of a vast and consequential region with Russian Roulette. This podcast from the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program is guided by hosts Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovaya, who bring their expertise to nuanced conversations that move beyond headlines. Each episode delves into the forces shaping Russia and the diverse nations of Eurasia, unpacking everything from foreign policy and internal power dynamics to cultural shifts and societal transformations. You'll hear insightful analysis and engaging discussions with a range of experts, offering listeners a clearer understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities within the post-Soviet space. Produced by Tina Dolbaia and Nick Fenton, the podcast consistently provides context and depth on a part of the world where history is always present. For anyone curious about the intricate politics, compelling stories, and human experiences that define this area, this series serves as an essential guide, making sense of a region that often seems enigmatic from the outside.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Russian Roulette
Podcast Episodes
Rose Gottemoeller on Negotiating with Russia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:27
Max and Maria welcomed Rose Gottemoeller back to the show, to discuss the ongoing negotiations between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. As a former American diplomat who has sat across from the Russians to negotiate intern…
The War in Ukraine Three Years On [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:29
Max and Maria sat down with Michael Kimmage and Dara Massicot for an event in the CSIS studio to discuss the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The conversation took stock of the current s…
A New Strategy for Containing Russia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:04
Max and Maria were recently joined by Michael Kimmage and Jeffrey Mankoff for a live event in the CSIS broadcast studio to discuss the team's recent work outlining a new European strategy for containing Russia. This conv…
Lessons from Soviet Foreign Policy with Sergey Radchenko [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:23
Max and Maria spoke with historian Sergey Radchenko about his latest book, To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power, and how the study of Soviet foreign policy can help us understand Russia's current…
Russia and the Middle East in 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:19
Maria spoke with Hanna Notte and Natasha Hall about the new balance of forces in the Middle East at the start of 2025, and what the current geopolitical situation in the region means for Russia.
25 Years of Putinism with Sam Greene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:36
Max and Maria were joined by Dr. Sam Greene to reflect on a quarter century of Putinism in Russia, how Vladimir Putin's rule has changed the country, and where his regime might be headed from here. Follow Sam's writing o…