The Week Ahead In Russia
RFE/RL
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The Week Ahead In Russia podcast dissects significant developments and upcoming events in Moscow and beyond. It's hosted each Monday by Steve Gutterman, author of RFE/RL's The Week In Russia newsletter, and features a rotating panel of guests.
Available episodes
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5 days ago
The Crimea Controversy - May 29, 2023
Crimea is Ukraine, but some in the West say Kyiv should not try to take it back by force if it gets the chance. Is that good advice, or could such an approach be dangerous for Ukraine and the West? Ruth Deyermond, a senior lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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May 22, 2023
Bakhmut And Beyond - May 22, 2023
Russia claims its forces, led by Wagner mercenaries, have captured all of the ruined Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after many months of heavy fighting. Kyiv denies it. How important is the battle for Bakhmut? Author and analyst Mark Galeotti joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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May 16, 2023
The Despot Next Door - May 16, 2023
Long-ruling authoritarian Alyaksandr Lukashenka showed up in a state-issued video after looking ill at May 9 ceremonies in Moscow and then disappearing from view for five days. His absence and apparent illness have raised questions about the future in Belarus. Katia Glod, a fellow at the European Leadership Network and the Center for European Policy Analysis, joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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May 9, 2023
War, Memory, And Propaganda - May 09, 2023
More than a year into its war on Ukraine, Russia holds a military parade on Red Square as part of ceremonies marking the defeat of Nazi Germany 78 years ago. Allyson Edwards, a lecturer at Bath Spa University and an expert on Russian militarism, youth, memory, and patriotic education, joins RFE/RL to discuss.
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Apr 24, 2023
Prison Terms And Electronic Mobilization - April 24, 2023
Author and analyst Mark Galeotti offers his takes on the "digital draft" law and the long sentence handed down to Kremlin opponent Vladimir Kara-Murza, among other developments related to Russia's war on Ukraine.
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Apr 17, 2023
War And Prison - April 17, 2023
The military goes online to round up Russians to fight in Ukraine. And Kremlin opponent Vladimir Kara-Murza could be sentenced to up to 25 years on treason charges that have been widely dismissed as politically motivated punishment for his opposition to the war. Precious Chatterje-Doody, a lecturer in politics and international studies at Open University in the United Kingdom, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Apr 3, 2023
An American Arrested, A Cultural Clampdown, And A Bomb Blast - April 03, 2023
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is arrested in Russia, the Kremlin increases pressure on anti-war performers, and a pro-war blogger is killed by a bomb in St. Petersburg. RFE/RL’s Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Mar 29, 2023
Tactical Nuclear Weapons In Belarus? - March 29, 2023
What's behind Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to position tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and what does it say about Minsk's role in the war in Ukraine? Daniel Speckhard, a former U.S. ambassador to Belarus who heads the global development and humanitarian assistance organization Corus International, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Mar 20, 2023
Putin’s Arrest Warrant And Russia’s Influence - March 20, 2023
What do visits from Xi Jinping and Bashar al-Assad say about Russia’s clout beyond the former Soviet Union, and how will an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin affect Moscow’s standing? Meanwhile, is Yevgeny Prigozhin losing influence in Russia as the Wagner Group’s losses mount in the bloody battle for Bakhmut? Author and analyst Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Mar 14, 2023
The Challenge Of Maintaining Unity On Ukraine - March 14, 2023
Can the West's "unprecedented unity" in support of Ukraine be sustained? And after Moscow's setbacks and Kyiv's successes in 2022, has the war reached a stalemate? Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Mar 6, 2023
A Korean Template For Ukraine? - March 06, 2023
Is the armistice that brought a halt to fighting on the Korean Peninsula 70 years ago a template for peace in the Ukraine war? Sergey Radchenko, a Cold War historian and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, thinks it might be. Radchenko joins guest host Mike Eckel to discuss the idea and what to watch for as the war grinds into bitter attrition.
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Feb 27, 2023
War Without End? - February 27, 2023
As Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its second year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled that it won't end soon and U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to support Kyiv for "as long as it takes." Sam Greene, a professor at the Russia Institute at Kings College London, director of democratic resilience at CEPA, and co-author of the book Putin Vs. The People, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss Putin's speech and what to watch for as the war grinds on.
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Feb 20, 2023
Words And The War - February 20, 2023
Days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second year with no end in sight, President Vladimir Putin delivers a state-of-the-nation speech on February 21. Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor and former director of the Russian Service at RFE/RL, joins host Steve Gutterman.
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Feb 6, 2023
The Stalingrad Factor - February 06, 2023
Eighty years after the Soviet Army defeated Hitler’s forces in the Battle of Stalingrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to get the memory of the bloody and pivotal showdown to fit his false narrative of the war in Ukraine. Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Jan 30, 2023
Western Tanks, Russian Propaganda - January 30, 2023
How will German, British, and U.S. tanks affect the course of Russia's war against Ukraine? And is the Kremlin's attempt to rally Russians for a "New Patriotic War" against the West already failing? Mark Galeotti, a Russia analyst and author whose books including Putin's Wars: From Chechnya To Ukraine, joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Jan 16, 2023
Death In Dnipro - January 16, 2023
Dozens of Ukrainian civilians are killed when a Russian rocket obliterates part of an apartment building in Dnipro. Fighting persists following Moscow's claims of control over the Donbas town of Soledar. RFE/RL's Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Dec 19, 2022
War And Propaganda - December 19, 2022
Following Russian setbacks in its bloody bid to subjugate Ukraine, is the propaganda changing? And why is Putin avoiding holding one of his big image-making exercises, the annual press conference? Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Dec 12, 2022
A Prisoner Swap And A Prison Sentence - December 12, 2022
Why was the Kremlin so eager to bring an arms dealer home, and what are the prospects for further releases following the Griner-Bout exchange? Also, what's behind opposition politician Ilya Yashin's long prison term? RFE/RL's Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Dec 5, 2022
Moscow, Minsk, And The War Against Ukraine - December 05, 2022
The Belarusian state has provided plenty of support for Russia's war on Ukraine but has resisted sending troops. What's behind that reluctance – and why has the death of the country's longtime foreign minister sparked so much speculation? Katia Glod, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Nov 28, 2022
The War Grinds On
- November 28, 2022
Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure are darkening cities as winter approaches, but Ukrainians' resolve may be burning even brighter, and Western support continues. Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the latest phase of the war.
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Nov 21, 2022
A State Of Incapacity? - November 21, 2022
From a massive mobilization drive to money problems in the regions, Russia's war on Ukraine is straining the Kremlin's ability to govern -- and to keep up support from the people it needs to maintain its grip. Analyst Andras Toth-Czifra joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss what the unprovoked war has done to 'state capacity' and 'regime capacity' in Russia.
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Nov 14, 2022
Kherson: A Russian Retreat And Its Ramifications - November 14, 2022
What’s next -- for Ukraine and Russia -- after Russian forces relinquished the only regional capital they had seized since the start of the invasion in February? And amid Ukrainian gains on the ground, what’s behind the talk about talks? Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Oct 31, 2022
Navalny, The Duma, And An Expanded Anti-LGBT Bill
- October 31, 2022
The Duma stops live transmissions and prepares broad new anti-LGBT legislation. Navalny says he's targeted in a new criminal probe. Ben Noble, associate professor of Russian politics at University College London, associate fellow at Chatham House, and co-author of the recent book Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Oct 24, 2022
Eight Months Since The Invasion - October 24, 2022
Russia's assault on Ukraine continues eight months after the February 24 invasion. Amid setbacks on the battlefield, the Kremlin has taken a series of steps in an effort to gain the upper hand -- or avoid losing the war. Author and analyst Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies, joins host Steve Gutterman to take stock.
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Oct 17, 2022
Is Moscow's Clout Diminishing In Central Asia? - October 17, 2022
Grumbling in a security alliance and a diatribe from Tajikistan's president directed at Vladimir Putin point to tensions between Moscow and the Central Asian countries amid Russia's war on Ukraine. RFE/RL Central Asia correspondent Chris Rickleton joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Oct 10, 2022
A New Escalation In Ukraine - October 10, 2022
Russia strikes Kyiv and cities across Ukraine in multiple attacks after a blast and fire the Kremlin blames on Ukraine badly damages the bridge to occupied Crimea. RFE/RL’s Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Oct 3, 2022
Putin's Propaganda - October 03, 2022
In a speech marking the attempted annexation of four Ukrainian regions amid setbacks for Moscow in its war on Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out at the West in some of his most elaborately vitriolic language yet. What was the point – and will Russians buy it? Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Sep 26, 2022
Mobilization And War - September 26, 2022
Tens of thousands of Russians have fled, and some others are protesting. Is President Vladimir Putin’s “partial mobilization” a big mistake? And how might the mobilization and the so-called referendums that Moscow is imposing on four Ukrainian regions affect the course of the war in Ukraine? Author, analyst, and Russia expert Sam Greene joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Sep 12, 2022
Elections, War, And Putin's Bubble - September 12, 2022
Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow on Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and former British ambassador, joins host Mike Eckel to discuss the regional elections in Russia this weekend, the lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive and the war in Ukraine, and what the Kremlin might be thinking about these days.
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Sep 5, 2022
Gorbachev, Europe, And Ukraine - September 05, 2022
As autumn approaches, the future of southern Ukraine and European support for Kyiv may be hanging in the balance. Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the war -- and examine the Kremlin's handling of Mikhail Gorbachev’s death.
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Aug 22, 2022
Six Months After - August 22, 2022
August 24 is Independence Day in Ukraine -- and marks six months since Russia launched a massive attack against the country. Where do things stand in the war, and what has that half-year brought the invading country? Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor and former director of RFE/RL's Russian Service, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Aug 15, 2022
'Final Stage Putin' And The War In Ukraine - August 15, 2022
In a recent article, analyst and author Mark Galeotti wrote that Vladimir Putin appears to be entering "the final, most dangerous phase of his descent into rogue state tyrant." What does that mean for the war in Ukraine -- and what can the West do about it? Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Aug 8, 2022
Past And Future In Ukraine And Belarus - August 08, 2022
A crucial time in the war in Ukraine, and two years since a disputed election led to protests and crackdown in Belarus. Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Aug 1, 2022
Boris Nemtsov And Another Russia
- August 01, 2022
Boris Nemtsov, a politician with presidential potential who became a vocal opponent of Vladimir Putin and Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, was shot dead near the Kremlin in 2015. His daughter, journalist Zhanna Nemtsova, talks about Another Russia, her new podcast about Nemtsov and the continuing fight for the country's future.
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Jul 25, 2022
War Aims And Limitations - July 25, 2022
Despite setbacks on the battlefield, Russia announced that it wants to control at least two Ukrainian regions beyond the Donbas. And it reached a deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports, but then fired rockets at Odesa. Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss what these developments could bring.
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Jul 18, 2022
War Stories - July 18, 2022
Are Russians hearing about the horrors of their country’s war on Ukraine, or are the state’s narratives drowning out the bloody details? And is Western resolve strong enough to stand up to the Kremlin’s framing of its invasion? Ian Garner, an expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Jul 11, 2022
The Will Of The West - July 11, 2022
What's behind President Vladimir Putin's assertion that Russia has not yet begun to fight the war in Ukraine "in earnest?" And when Western officials talk about victory for Ukraine, what does that mean -- and how far will they go to achieve it? Analyst and author Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Jun 27, 2022
Behind Putin's Rise To Power - June 27, 2022
In 1998, days after Vladimir Putin was named to head the FSB, a journalist digging into his past was beaten to death -- a brutal attack that's examined in the final installment of an investigative series by RFE/RL on the early part of Putin's rise to power. Enterprise Editor Carl Schreck and Andrei Soshnikov, an investigative journalist and web editor for Current Time, join host Steve Gutterman to discuss the project and the story of Anatoly Levin-Utkin's killing.
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Jun 20, 2022
A Strange Showcase In St. Petersburg - June 20, 2022
At an annual economic forum that was once his window on the West, President Vladimir Putin lashed out at Washington and repeated baseless claims in an effort to justify the invasion of Ukraine. Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor at RFE/RL, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Jun 13, 2022
Peter, Past, And Future - June 13, 2022
President Vladimir Putin likened himself to Peter the Great and suggested that grabbing land is the main motive for his war against Ukraine. How might this affect the course of the conflict -- and how crucial are the actions of the West? Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Jun 6, 2022
Putin, Perception, And Reality - June 06, 2022
Does President Vladimir Putin think Russia is winning its war against Ukraine? And does he face a threat from Russians who favor the war but think it’s losing? Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor at RFE/RL, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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May 30, 2022
Putin's War, Putin's Fate - May 30, 2022
Author and analyst Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies in London, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the latest developments in the war in Ukraine – as well as the speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin's health and the possibility that he could pushed from power.
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May 23, 2022
Vladimir Putin And The Missing Cocaine - May 23, 2022
What's the connection between the largest cocaine bust in Russian history and the man who was the city's deputy mayor at the time, Vladimir Putin? Current Time reporter Andrei Soshnikov and RFE/RL Enterprise Editor Carl Schreck join guest host Mike Eckel to discuss a mostly overlooked but revelatory entry in Putin's political trajectory as well as findings made in the first of a multipart series looking at the Russian president's backstory.
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May 17, 2022
War And Its Consequences - May 17, 2022
When the war is over, will Russia end up in a worse position than it was in before it invaded Ukraine? And should making sure that it does be a goal for the West? Nigel Gould-Davies, the senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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May 9, 2022
Parades And Propaganda - May 09, 2022
At the annual military parade in Red Square, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated the Kremlin's narratives about the war in Ukraine but made no big announcements and signaled no changes in strategy. Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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May 2, 2022
War, Oppression, Victory, And Defeat - May 02, 2022
With Russia causing devastation in Ukraine that echoes World War II and preparing to celebrate the anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat 77 years ago, are major developments likely in Ukraine – and in Russia itself? Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Apr 25, 2022
Winning And Losing - April 25, 2022
Can Ukraine win the war? And as Russia's military losses mount and isolation increases, are the whispers of dismay and discontent in circles close to President Vladimir Putin growing louder? Political analyst and author Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Apr 11, 2022
War And Oppression - April 11, 2022
As the terrible human toll mounts and evidence of atrocities emerges, where is the war in Ukraine headed? And how sustainable is the situation in Russia? Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Apr 4, 2022
Bucha And Beyond: The Ramifications Of Alleged Atrocities - April 04, 2022
As Russian forces withdrew from the suburbs of Kyiv, they left a trail of death and destruction -- including mounting evidence of cold-blooded killings of Ukrainian civilians. Will this awful development change views of the war in Russia or the West? Alexander Clarkson, a lecturer at King's College London, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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Mar 28, 2022
Navalny, Putin, And The War At Home - March 28, 2022
Imprisoned Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny is handed a new nine-year sentence, part of a sweeping and persistent clampdown on dissent in Russia as the war in Ukraine -- which President Vladimir Putin may have expected to last a few days -- enters its second month. Ben Noble, an associate professor of Russian politics at University College London and co-author of a recent book about Navalny, joins host Steve Gutterman on Twitter Spaces to discuss.
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