Jan Matti Dollbaum -- research group leader at LMU Munich and co-author of the book Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? – joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the life, death, and legacy of Aleksei Navalny.

Ian Garner, an expert on Russian war propaganda and author of the book Z Generation: Russia's Fascist Youth, discusses the Kremlin's messaging about its war against Ukraine, the campaign for the noncompetitive election, and takeaways from Tucker Carlson's interview with President Vladimir Putin.

The fate of Ukraine’s commander in chief is in doubt. So is the fate of future U.S. military aid. Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times and the author of the book The War Came To Us: Life And Death In Ukraine, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss what may happen and what it could mean as Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches the two-year mark.

Author and analyst Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the mysterious Russian military plane crash that Moscow claims killed 65 Ukrainian POWs, the verdict against nationalist Putin critic Igor Girkin, and the would-be presidential candidacy of Boris Nadezhdin.

While Russia’s war on Ukraine may not end in 2024, this could be a make-or-break year for Kyiv’s defense against the invasion. Will the European Union come through with sufficient support? Marie Dumoulin, Director of the Wider Europe program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Could Russia end up winning its war against Ukraine? If it doesn't, could Ukraine and the West still lose? Ruth Deyermond, senior lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, joins host Steve Gutterman to take stock as Russia's full-scale invasion nears its third year.

Vladimir Putin vows to achieve his goals in the war on Ukraine as he heads toward another Kremlin term, while uncertainty looms over the future of Western support for Kyiv’s defense against the Russian invasion. What’s in store for Russia and Ukraine in 2024? Analyst and author Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

As its invasion of Ukraine rages on, Russia prepares for an election in which President Vladimir Putin is expected to claim a new six-year term. Andras Toth-Czifra, a fellow with the Eurasia Program of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Will talk of a stalemate affect the course of the war in Ukraine and Western support for Kyiv? And in Russia, what are the potential ramifications of the anti-Semitic airport attack in Daghestan? Olga Oliker, the program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

An anti-Semitic rampage at the main airport in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Daghestan. In Ukraine, high-level disputes about how the war is going. Author and analyst Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the roots and ramifications of these developments.

As fierce fighting continues along the front line in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the future of Western aid for Kyiv is clouded by an array of developments from Capitol Hill to the Middle East and beyond. Author and analyst Sam Greene, a professor at the Russia Institute at Kings College London and director of democratic resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis, joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.

A purported private military company called Redut is in reality a recruitment system for combat units that is coordinated and funded by Russia's armed forces and their intelligence agency, the GRU, RFE/RL investigative units Schemes and Systema have found. Investigative reporters Valeria Yehoshyna and Yelizaveta Surnacheva join the host to discuss the remarkable investigation and the revelations it produced.

Author and analyst Mark Galeotti talks about his takes on the struggle for the Black Sea, the state of Western support for Ukraine after potentially damaging developments in the United States and Europe, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarkable claim about the crash that killed mutinous Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

On October 4, 1993, a tense standoff between President Boris Yeltsin and opponents holed up in the "White House" came to a violent head when government forces shelled the parliament building on the Moscow River, a development that still reverberates in Russia today. This weekend, developments in the United States and Slovakia raised questions about the future of Western support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Kadri Liik, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times and author of The War Came To Us: Life And Death In Ukraine, speaks to RFE/RL about his book, his experiences covering the country and the war, and where things stand after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to the United States.

As Ukraine's counteroffensive against the Russian invasion continues, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy heads to the United States for the UN General Assembly and a potentially crucial visit to Washington. Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the big week.

Four days after a fiery plane crash, Russian investigators said they have confirmed the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary boss who led a brief but shocking mutiny in June. Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins Steve Gutterman to take a look at the potential consequences for Russia, the war in Ukraine, and Belarus.

Analyst and author Mark Galeotti joins RFE/RL to discuss Moscow's war on Ukraine, its reverberations in Russia, and how it's related to the invasion of Georgia in 2008. Also on the agenda: the continuing aftermath of the Wagner mutiny.

President Vladimir Putin's most prominent foe, the imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, has been convicted of extremism and sentenced to 19 years in the harshest kind of penitentiary Russia has. Jan Matti Dollbaum -- co-author of the book Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? -- joins host Steve Gutterman to talk about what the verdict means for Navalny and for Russia.

After scuttling the agreement that allowed for the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea and out to the world, Russia has attacked export facilities on the Black Sea and the Danube in Ukraine. Why did Moscow withdraw from the grain deal, and what's next? Alissa de Carbonnel of the Crisis Group joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Since President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, policymaking in Russia has been subordinated to the war and long-term planning is at a standstill. Political analyst Andras Toth-Czifra joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the chaotic situation and its potential consequences.

Two weeks after the short-lived Wagner mutiny, how badly weakened is President Vladimir Putin -- and what does it mean for Russia and its war on Ukraine? Also, what's in store for Ukraine at the NATO summit this week? Analyst and author Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Why did Yevgeny Prigozhin halt Wagner’s advance toward Moscow so abruptly? How badly weakened is Russian President Vladimir Putin, and what might the 24-hour rebellion mean for the course of the war in Ukraine? Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.