<![CDATA[Russia Decoded]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded Russia Decoded explains how the Kremlin shapes its narrative of current domestic and international events through tightly curated state news broadcasts. Co-hosts Andy Kuchins, a senior fellow at CFTNI and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington, and Chris Monday, a professor of economics at Dongseo University in Busan, South Korea, are veteran observers of Soviet and Russian media. Kuchins and Monday frame their discussions around the weekly Russian news round-up program Vesti Nedeli (“News of the Week”), broadcast on Russia’s Channel 2 on Sunday evenings. Viewed through the right lens, Vesti Nedeli offers a uniquely revealing perspective on how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

]]> RSS.com 2026.817.133114 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:03:21 GMT en 0a9f96c7-08a5-5e6a-987c-297920676b7b https://media.rss.com/russian-news-decoded/20251205_071218_4beaf78ce1e8fc772c8815b31900dbc4.jpg Russia Decoded https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded yes Center for the National Interest 2026 Center for the National Interest Center for the National Interest false episodic podcast <![CDATA[August 31, 2026: The Law of the Jungle]]> At a Moscow university on Saturday, Vladimir Putin told a room of educators and students that packs of orcas sometimes hunt and kill polar bears. "Children should be told about this," he explained, "so that they understand what kind of world we live in and why we are conducting the special military operation." State media parrots this "law of the jungle" narrative, depicting Russia as both prey and predator: Britain sponsors Ukrainian deep strikes into Russia and Finland dreams of conquering the Urals, while simultaneously, Europe's leaders face electoral defeat and Ukraine's military is on the verge of collapse.

At home, Russia is seemingly continuing its transition from a soft to hard authoritarianism. Dmitry Kiselyov, the charismatic and long-time host of Vesti Nedeli, has been sidelined from the Kremlin's flagship weekly news program. Why did Kiselyov's trademark style become a liability, and what kind of voice does the Kremlin want in his place?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/3113170 ffe526d8-b605-43bd-90f2-d38fe027ec95 3591 full 1 1 37 37 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 19:50:50 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[August 24, 2026: Pandora's Box]]> Last week, Vladimir Putin sat down for an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, where he warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy and logistics infrastructure had “opened Pandora’s box.” Moscow, Putin promised, would respond with devastating force. Kyiv’s deep strikes this summer have turned the war into a central political issue for everyday Russians, and with legislative elections just weeks away, Putin’s interview acts as campaign material. His threat of retaliation is echoed throughout Vesti’s Sunday broadcast. Britain is named as the European villain-of-the-week over its drone deliveries to Ukraine, and the program declares factories on British soil as fair game in the Kremlin’s retaliation. Has Moscow given up on cultivating Europe’s pro-Russian political parties in favor of open military threats?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/3096108 2290e57e-ad20-4072-83d7-af63e4cf30d3 3399 full 1 1 36 36 Tue, 25 Aug 2026 18:17:14 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[August 17, 2026: "The Laugh of Triumph Over a Defeated Enemy"]]> This week’s Vesti broadcast gave viewers little to celebrate except the destruction of Russia's enemies, with the Kremlin gloating over the "liberation" of destroyed, abandoned villages in Ukraine while ignoring the harsh realities of life in Russian-held territories. Added to this unrelenting grimness was Vesti's other tale of "triumph" in the Russian Far East. Last week, Vladimir Putin became only the second Russian leader to visit the disputed Kuril Islands, a direct provocation aimed at Japan. By flaunting Russian naval strength and tightening its axis with North Korea and China, is the Kremlin now threatening to open a "second front" against the West, isolating Japan and South Korea while the U.S. remains bogged down in the Middle East?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/3077869 134be2f2-e90c-47a8-b07c-4550fdf7b589 3529 full 1 1 35 35 Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:11:29 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[August 10, 2026: Blame Russia for Everything]]> This week, Vesti devoted its Europe report to a single accusation: that a failing European political class blames Moscow for every crisis that it has created itself, from migrants surging into Ceuta to vineyards burning in France and Germany's self-imposed energy shock. All of it, the program insists, is unfairly laid at Russia's door by leaders whose own coalitions are crumbling. But is Vesti projecting? What does it mean that the Kremlin's own account of the world runs on the same conspiratorial logic, with hidden hands, foreign plots, and adversaries credited with supreme powers?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/3061554 cbbf8996-ad96-412a-9757-aae700fdaf72 3465 full 1 1 34 34 Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:25:09 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[August 3, 2026: So Many Ways to Go Wrong]]> The Russia-Ukraine war is no longer contained to Ukraine, and the number of theaters now capable of pulling in one another, from Kyiv to Tehran, is growing faster than anyone's ability to manage them. Was Ukraine's recent strike on an Iranian vessel intended as a message for Donald Trump, and why did it fail to get the U.S. president's attention during Zelensky's Washington visit? Why has Vesti Nedeli had so little to say about America's war in Iran? And what should we make of a mobilization denial slipped into the final seconds of the Sunday broadcast, the same week a deputy defense minister suggested Russians who don't want to fight shouldn't be allowed to leave at all?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/3047753 1257765a-1b41-4752-967e-9a62d210f3d4 2855 full 1 1 33 33 Tue, 04 Aug 2026 23:18:48 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[July 27, 2026: Rallying Around the Flag]]> This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast focused not on victory but on hardship. Russian correspondents fanned out from Volgograd to Vladivostok to report on fuel shortages, ten-day blackouts in Crimea, and the sixth successful Ukrainian strike on the warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer. After four years in which most Russians have experienced the war only at a distance, the drones now arrive daily, and Vesti's decision to show it in full, grim detail looks less like candor than an attempt to make Putin's war everyone's war. Excluded from the broadcast was perhaps the week's most extraordinary moment, when Kazakh President Tokayev, seated beside Putin with cameras rolling, stated plainly that he does not understand what the point of this war is, and proposing a ceasefire.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/3028466 7e356adf-442c-4626-b235-13b7c1958349 2615 full 1 1 32 32 Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:33:34 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[July 20, 2026: Getting Down to Business]]> With Dmitry Kiselyov away on vacation, the latest Vesti Nedeli fell to a substitute host, Yevgeny Popov, and the resulting broadcast felt like a different show entirely. Gone were the familiar tropes, the bandits and fascists and postmodern flourishes, replaced by a stripped-down, fact-heavy recitation of the news. As Kiselyov's propaganda machine idles in neutral, Popov is letting the West's own weak spots speak for themselves, from Zelensky's unpopular government purges to Europe's faltering support for military aid to Ukraine.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/3010040 b4cd8db3-7074-405c-a266-53aada440047 3062 full 1 1 31 31 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:38:12 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[July 13, 2026: "Time Is on Our Side"]]> This week, Vesti Nedeli contrasted the two warring nations: Russia endures mere discomfort, from gas lines to rationing to rising prices, while life in Ukraine becomes unsustainable, with empty Patriot batteries, draft riots in Lviv, and Russian missiles landing at will. The message to Russian viewers is unmistakable: "we are taking some blows now, but time is on our side." That bet on endurance runs through nearly every story the Kremlin broadcast this week, from Putin's take-charge performance on the fuel crisis to gleeful coverage of dissension at the NATO summit. Even the announcement of a lavish new War and Peace miniseries, timed for release in 2028, reveals how long Moscow thinks this war could last. But how real is the confidence?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2989059 e25ab5a9-9f97-4e87-b8bf-b8a168af899b 3407 full 1 1 30 30 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:50:52 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[July 6, 2026: Does Putin Have a Way Out?]]> With Ukraine's drone campaign striking ever deeper into Russia, Western analysts have rushed to declare a turning point in the war. But is it one? This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast, pointedly titled "War for Peace," reads like a direct rebuttal to the argument that Putin has trapped himself in a geopolitical standoff with no good options left. From the Kremlin's perspective, the escalation options are everywhere: stirring trouble in Cuba, playing the Iran card, and deepening the alliance with China.

Europe, meanwhile, is reacting to the threat of Russian escalation with a massive push for remilitarization. If this defense splurge comes at the expense of social spending, could it end up helping Putin, as frustrated European voters revolt against their already unpopular leaders in favor of nationalist (and, as it happens, pro-Putin) parties?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2969760 b73b1f96-0f23-4c5e-bf30-cce03dade4e4 3591 full 1 1 29 29 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:58:27 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[June 29, 2026: Putin Takes the Wheel]]> This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast was especially Putin-centric. Acknowledging fuel shortages, reciting battlefield details by heart, and personally steering the response to Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries, the Russian leader appears not just in command but energized by the continuing confrontation with the West. However, recent events -- from Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia's refining sector to upcoming Duma elections that risk an embarrassing turnout -- have placed mounting strains on the regime that no amount of stagecraft can fully hide. Is Putin genuinely in his element, or performing mastery over problems he can't actually solve? And what does it mean that the strongman is increasingly the system's only visible actor?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2955455 4594deaf-a913-49d6-a561-b7546f352c1e 3384 full 1 1 28 28 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:52:35 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[June 15, 2026: Putin's Magic Wears Off]]> On Sunday, a devastating missile strike hit Kyiv’s Pechersk Lavra, one of the most sacred sites in the Orthodox world. The attack points to a Kremlin that is now burning through its own foundational myths, chiefly Russia and Ukraine's shared Orthodox heritage. Days earlier, news coverage of Russia Day celebrations highlighted a different problem for the Kremlin: the seeming erosion of the emotional connection between Vladimir Putin and the soldiers he claims to lead. As Russian state media projects confidence and momentum on the battlefield, signs of anxiety are obvious on the homefront. How long can a leader maintain structural control when even his state-orchestrated military "heroes" show little positive emotion for their mission? And what does Moscow's most recent act of escalation reveal about the Kremlin's willingness to prolong the Ukraine war?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2920339 40468a0a-2a9d-4436-8e8f-d7cd1acb5b07 2854 full 1 1 27 27 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:43:37 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[June 8, 2026: Putin Says 'Nyet' to Zelensky's Offer]]> At this year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Vladimir Putin delivered a resounding "nyet" to Volodymyr Zelensky's open letter proposing a face-to-face meeting, even as Ukrainian drones struck mere kilometers from the conference. SPIEF 2026 was equal parts economic summit and political theater, with Putin exuding confidence before an eclectic cast of foreign guests. But why refuse to negotiate now, and what does the refusal reveal about how the Kremlin reads the battlefield, the Russian economy, and the political clock ticking in Washington? Is Putin's "nyet" a door slammed shut, or a calculated bet that time is on Russia's side? And what should we make of the faces Russian television chooses to show, to sideline, or to blur out entirely?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2901412 ff426aa7-ece0-45ae-a0f6-bbeddfec5285 3136 full 1 1 26 26 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:55:36 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[May 25, 2026: The War Goes on and on and on...]]> On May 22, a drone strike tore through a student dormitory in Starobilsk, leaving dozens of civilians dead or wounded, and Moscow wasted no time casting blame on Kyiv. In "retaliation," the Kremlin launched one of the largest missile and drone barrages on the Ukrainian capital since the war began, complete with an Oreshnik ballistic missile and an unprecedented advisory for foreigners to flee Kyiv. Putin, it seems, is climbing the escalation ladder. And Starobilsk is just one of many grim stories this week: Russia and Belarus conducted joint nuclear exercises, Russian jets buzzed a British spy plane over the Black Sea, and Ukrainian drones have continued drifting into the Baltic States. Is Putin a master of brinkmanship who has locked himself into a game of chicken with the West, or is he now simply stuck as his "Special Military Operation" enters its 222nd week?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2859403 0c3866dd-010e-4197-9bab-23a08c435c29 3722 full 1 1 25 25 Tue, 26 May 2026 17:22:40 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[May 18, 2026: The Boy Who Cried Sarmat]]> On May 12, Russia test-fired the world's largest missile, the 208-ton Sarmat ICBM. That same week, Ukrainian drones penetrated Moscow's heavily-defended airspace to strike industrial plants and oil refineries. Against the backdrop of this asymmetry, Sergey Karaganov has returned to state television to argue that Russia must restore its credibility by striking a NATO country, and Vesti Nedeli's tone toward the West has sharpened across the board. Has the Kremlin's nuclear bluff simply crossed into boy-who-cried-wolf territory, or does the continued saber-rattling herald potential new schemes to divide Kyiv's Western supporters?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2840802 c99178b6-a4a3-4240-a436-13b738f713c9 3138 full 1 1 24 24 Tue, 19 May 2026 18:02:10 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[May 11, 2026: "The Matter Is Coming to an End"]]> During his lengthy press conference following the May 9 Victory Day parade, Vladimir Putin slipped in an almost offhand remark that "the matter is coming to an end" — a phrase Western outlets quickly seized on as a signal that the war in Ukraine may finally be winding down. But was that really what Putin meant? Read in the context of continued nuclear threats on state television, North Korean troops marching across Red Square, and a new Russian law authorizing military intervention to "rescue" citizens abroad, the remark begins to sound less like capitulation and more like its opposite. Is Putin's comment an admission of exhaustion, or a threat of escalation toward the West?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2817299 1743f5e2-15d2-4efd-a777-b522d90b3257 3148 full 1 1 23 23 Tue, 12 May 2026 17:13:34 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[May 3, 2026: Murky Signals From Moscow]]> Last week, Vladimir Putin held a 90-minute phone call with Donald Trump, ostensibly to express concern over a recent assassination attempt and to revive the "spirit of Anchorage." Yet for all the warm headlines, Russian state media's coverage of the call and other top news stories has been unusually murky, with signals pulling in different directions on Iran, Ukraine, and Europe. Did Putin place the call to head off King Charles's potential influence on Trump? Why has Moscow's nuclear rhetoric toward Europe suddenly gone quiet? And why is the buildup to the May 9 Victory Day parade so conspicuously muted? This week's Vesti Nedeli broadcast hints at a Kremlin calibrating. But calibrating toward what?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2796004 e682fa66-9650-4e7d-bf02-171ae94147b3 3061 full 1 1 22 22 Tue, 05 May 2026 16:40:34 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[April 19, 2026: Turning the Screws on Europe]]> Is Russian state media prepping its audience for a showdown with Europe? Recent broadcasts have framed European drone factories as legitimate military targets and accused Kyiv of deliberately dragging the continent into conflict with Moscow. Beneath the rhetoric, a quietly advancing Duma law (reportedly drafted inside Putin's own family) would give the Kremlin sweeping new authority to deploy its military abroad. Meanwhile, coverage of Donald Trump has turned sharply hostile, with Moscow mocking the U.S. war effort as a "holy war" led by "crusaders" in the White House. And as Vesti Nedeli continues its glowing coverage of Sino-Russian ties, do these stories signal that the Kremlin is abandoning any pretense of diplomacy with the West?

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2753113 d34e9e7f-a037-441b-bdf3-07a5199e0b4c 3105 full 1 1 21 21 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:59:48 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[April 12, 2026: Moscow Loses Its Hungarian Trump Card]]> On Sunday, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party secured a historic victory in Hungary's parliamentary election, ousting current prime minister Viktor Orbán and depriving the Kremlin of its most reliable tool for blocking European assistance to Ukraine. While muted on the election results, Russian state media has continued to hammer at Europe, deriding NATO members as "junk bond" allies and highlighting the Royal Navy’s recent failure to confront a Russian incursion into British territorial waters. This hardline narrative even extends across the Atlantic. The collapse of the Islamabad peace talks has triggered sharp Russian criticism of president Donald Trump’s "madman" negotiation tactics and his megalomaniacal threat to destroy Iranian civilization.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2735708 a8fa08f6-5ff1-4aab-b0a6-62e1bbbdc231 2563 full 1 1 20 20 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:36:42 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[April 5, 2026: "Once Upon a Time, There Was NATO"]]> In a televised display reminiscent of the infamous Trump-Zelensky Oval Office meeting in February 2025, Vladimir Putin last week delivered a dressing-down to Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan in the Kremlin. The Russian president warned Armenia that any further pivot toward the European Union and away from Russia would meet severe economic consequences. This public spectacle comes in the lead-up to Hungary's high-stakes parliamentary elections on April 12, where Moscow and Washington both appear eager to bolster incumbent prime minister Viktor Orbán and his anti-EU agenda. As Donald Trump now criticizes European allies for their refusal to participate in his war on Iran, Russian state media speculates whether the Middle East conflict will spell the end of the nearly eight decade NATO alliance.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2703938 5d01fbf0-428a-4868-bc48-90d2e09ea20d 3224 full 1 1 19 19 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:46:13 GMT false false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[March 29, 2026: Iran Dominates the Russian News Cycle]]> With U.S. military operations now in their fifth week, the Iran War has become the centerpiece of Russian news coverage, which portrays the operation as a "catastrophe" exposing the limits of American power. The Kremlin’s narrative has even turned personal, mocking the Trump administration’s lack of sophistication. This saturation of Gulf coverage has naturally pushed Russia's own "Special Military Operation" to the fringes of the news cycle, with state media conveniently ignoring rising drone attacks within Russian borders and renewed calls for trilateral peace negotiations from Volodymyr Zelensky.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2678175 a8fd1cdc-e83c-4fbf-87e8-601f4dc8dff3 2640 full 1 1 18 18 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:52:03 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[March 22, 2026: Is a Digital Iron Curtain Falling on Russia?]]> With the war in Iran now in its fourth week, Russian state media continues to showcase the conflict as the latest act of Western "lawlessness." The heavy focus on the Middle East now serves as a convenient screen for the "special military operation" in Ukraine, which has largely vanished from headline news as Russian forces face retreat and the sudden loss of Starlink connectivity. Behind this silence, the Kremlin is intensifying its "ideological warfare," moving to dismantle digital bridges to the West by targeting the public's reliance on Telegram and rapidly restricting broader internet access to create a 1980s-style information vacuum.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2658814 60a492da-9a2c-4d85-96c2-d78101533dae 3365 full 1 1 17 17 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:59:41 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[March 15, 2026: A Tale of Two Military Operations]]> The Kremlin has used the unfolding war in Iran to frame the United States as a reckless "wild elephant" sowing global chaos. Highlighting the destruction of U.S. bases and the "crusading" religious fervor of U.S. military leaders, Russian state media openly contrasts Donald Trump's "Middle Eastern catastrophe" with Vladimir Putin’s "special military operation" in Ukraine; whereas the American effort is depicted as an idiotic and aimless video game, Russia’s campaign is portrayed as a measured, well-planned, and unalloyed success. With potential windfall oil profits now added as a bonus thanks to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, these television broadcasts paint Russia as an island of stability in an increasingly turbulent world.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2636731 3f6d04c9-6632-4a5a-b136-8d6d297ffad0 3440 full 1 1 16 16 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:57:31 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[March 8, 2026: Is the Iran War an Asset or Liability for Putin?]]> As U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran enter their second week, the Kremlin faces a complex calculus of costs and benefits. On one hand, the conflict has triggered a surge in global oil prices and effectively diverted critical Western weapon systems away from the Ukrainian front, offering Vladimir Putin clear advantages. Conversely, the war threatens to further isolate Russia by driving the Gulf states firmly into the U.S. camp. While Russian state media intensifies its rhetoric regarding American treachery and "regime adjustment," the ongoing conflict exposes the limits of the Kremlin's regional influence.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2617185 2bf9e7ea-e496-4a2f-903a-4f68d42c7377 2441 full 1 1 15 15 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:37:05 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[March 1, 2026: Watching Iran from Moscow]]> As the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran commenced this weekend, Russian state media took a surprisingly muted tone, avoiding condemnation of President Donald Trump despite characterizing the strikes as a "treacherous attack" on an erstwhile ally. Vladimir Putin, seemingly taken by surprise, has conspicuously withheld any formal opposition, signaling that Moscow remains on the fence while prioritizing its high-stakes talks with Washington over the future of Ukraine. With Putin's "special military operation" marking its four-year anniversary last week, the timing of Trump's "operation" in Iran highlights (for Russian media) uncomfortable parallels between the two conflicts.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2599132 3b8313a7-12eb-4d39-a2b2-04966fde4c3e 2508 full 1 1 14 14 Wed, 04 Mar 2026 03:38:39 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[February 22, 2026: Is Putin Looking for an Exit?]]> The third round of trilateral peace negotiations in Geneva ended abruptly, with Moscow's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky appearing visibly defeated after sessions described as "very difficult": a diplomatic euphemism for near-breakdown. Despite these outward signs of failure, state media depicts Vladimir Putin as a leader genuinely engaged in seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, a narrative crafted to appease a domestic audience increasingly eager for the four-year-old conflict to conclude. Most striking is the recent emergence of explicit "post-war" messaging on state television, where talking heads have begun publicly imagining a future for Russia after the lifting of Western sanctions. While these signals hint at a pivot toward peace, the reality on the front lines and the deep chasm between negotiating parties suggest the exit remains out of reach.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2574391 dcf2515c-9147-4138-a6a6-86ad7ad07df4 2753 full 1 1 13 13 Tue, 24 Feb 2026 07:10:50 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[February 15, 2026: Tough Love in Munich]]> U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s appearance at the Munich Security Conference offered a polished, "good cop" follow-up to the blunt speech delivered by Vice President J.D. Vance a year prior, confirming a new era of American "tough love" for Europe. While Rubio’s presence suggested diplomatic relief among allies, Russian state media broadcast a narrative of transatlantic divorce. The campaign to discredit any remaining Western unity was bolstered this week by depictions of Italy's Winter Olympics as an embarrassing failure, woven into continuing salacious and conspiracy-laden coverage of the Epstein files, branding Western elites as a "satanic" cult.

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how the Kremlin presents its story of imminent collapse of the transatlantic alliance.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2557074 a689173a-0de4-44ab-94d4-260c1c4e64b3 3095 full 1 1 12 12 Wed, 18 Feb 2026 03:15:57 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[February 8, 2026: Assassination in Moscow]]> Last week's targeted shooting of General Vladimir Alexeyev in the outskirts of Moscow has stripped the Russian military of one of its most competent strategists. The assassination attempt occurred against the backdrop of growing paranoia reminiscent of the Stalin era, exemplified in a grim new state documentary warning how Ukraine recruits Russian youths as "terrorists" via the popular Telegram messaging app. Meanwhile, to preempt dissatisfaction among national minorities who bear the brunt of war casualties, state media has revived another Stalinist trope of the "friendship of the peoples."

In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Russian television projects regime stability by doubling down on a narrative combining theatrical patriotism with a hunt for domestic enemies.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2539906 d45d579d-4fca-4b11-aa64-3a532b87c98a 2723 full 1 1 11 11 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:44:54 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[February 1, 2026: Holy War in Ukraine]]> Despite suffering over 1.2 million casualties in Ukraine—eclipsing Soviet losses in the Afghan conflict by orders of magnitude—Russian society remains strikingly silent compared to the civil strife that once challenged the Kremlin's authority in the 1980s. This domestic compliance rests, in part, on Russian state media's framing of the Ukraine War as an existential battle for the nation's survival against a decadent West.

From the systemic branding of political dissent as treasonous to the pageantry of Putin's recent Middle East diplomacy, hosts Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday look at the latest Vesti Nedeli news broadcast and unpack how state media effectively insulates Russia's urban middle class from the grim realities of a grinding war of attrition.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2515937 eda58b9f-3509-4860-b15c-f80dee20e10e 2352 full 1 1 10 10 Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:51:07 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[January 25, 2026: Putin's Art of the Deal]]> After weeks of silence, Russian state media has suddenly pivoted toward a "let's make a deal" narrative, signaling a startling shift in tone as high-stakes Ukraine negotiations revive in Moscow and Abu Dhabi. Vladimir Putin has returned to the airwaves not as an aggressor, but as a calm and savvy dealmaker, even floating a proposal to use frozen central bank assets to fund Donald Trump's new "Board of Peace" and support Ukrainian reconstruction. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Russian state media is recalibrating its narrative and preparing domestic audiences for a potential peace deal over Ukraine.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2493981 714eb50d-9caf-4435-8e18-481565f938ce 2556 full 1 1 9 9 Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:24:37 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA Russia, Russia <![CDATA[January 18, 2026: Europe Between a Rock and a Hard Place]]> President Donald Trump’s announcement of punitive tariffs targeting European allies who oppose the U.S. acquisition of Greenland has plunged NATO into a state of unprecedented chaos. In Moscow, Russian state media openly relishes the spectacle, portraying Western leaders as feckless and hopelessly paralyzed in the face of President Trump's pressure campaign. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2471203 d545e353-4f20-4880-9bcb-790030eb5a13 2838 full 1 1 8 8 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 03:17:36 GMT false Russia, Russia Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA <![CDATA[January 11, 2026: Might Makes Right?]]> Russia's recent Oreshnik missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Lviv, not far from the Polish border, is a new benchmark in the Kremlin’s campaign of intimidation against the West. As the Kremlin gauges the unpredictability of the second Trump administration in Venezuela and Greenland and tests the limits of European deterrence, its state media has abandoned any pretense of diplomacy for the language of raw power. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world, and how they seek to influence it.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2457296 5a07e82a-0c7b-4408-8b65-ddc3aebf6605 2715 full 1 1 7 7 Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:57:29 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA <![CDATA[January 4, 2026: Moscow's Muted Response on Venezuela]]> While the world reacted with shock to the dramatic U.S. seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, the Kremlin's response remains strikingly circumspect, fueling speculation of a high-stakes backstage deal and a "new Yalta" establishing spheres of influence from Caracas to Kyiv. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday discuss the strategic calculus behind Russian media's handling of the Venezuela story and the potentially fabricated drone assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin at his Valdai residence.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2435229 b26f89ca-92fe-4dc2-a2c4-d487348206e1 2629 full 1 1 6 6 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 03:18:06 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA <![CDATA[December 28, 2025: The Kremlin's Year in Review]]> As 2025 draws to a close, Vesti Nedeli delivers a confident verdict on Vladimir Putin's leadership: the Russian president remains unbowed by Western pressure. State media portrays Europeans as exhausted "piglets" dependent on U.S. sponsorship, while Putin himself is calm, patient and resilient in his phone call with Donald Trump on Ukraine. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday explore what this carefully curated narrative reveals about the Kremlin's image-making, and whether a new national ideology is taking shape.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2419610 71891f74-ea3a-4814-99d7-46b8c92715f0 3030 full 1 1 5 5 Tue, 30 Dec 2025 04:34:41 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA <![CDATA[December 14, 2025: Beware What You Wish For]]> Russian state television depicts a Europe unraveling under the weight of its own security fantasies, and the specter of escalation—dirty bombs included—is discussed. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday explore what this message reveals about Moscow’s confidence and its anxieties.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2393859 0d528875-4f73-4167-802e-d6a911b7c1dd 2653 full 1 1 4 4 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:26:13 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA <![CDATA[December 7, 2025: Putin Visits India]]> Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India last week to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's warm embrace, and Russian state media seized the moment to showcase Moscow’s “indispensable” global partnerships. At the same time, Vesti Nedeli continues to push a darker narrative about its war against Kyiv, portraying Ukrainians as collapsing on the battlefield and morally unraveling at home. In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday trace how these contrasting storylines work together to reinforce their portrayal of Russia rising from a fractured, post-Western order.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2378316 c6729756-bc08-4436-b5eb-b063deb13a21 2307 full 1 1 3 3 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 05:52:52 GMT false Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, USA <![CDATA[November 30, 2025: Putin Plays for Time on the Trump Peace Plan]]> Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to project total confidence, signaling that only he will decide the fate of the “Trump peace plan.” Meanwhile, Russian media remains intent on showcasing Ukraine’s corruption scandals, from Andriy Yermak’s downfall to Timur Mindich’s midnight escape to Israel. And what does the sudden resurrection of Mikhail Khodorkovsky as an “enemy within” reveal about Moscow’s anxieties as oligarchs circle around the emerging peace talks? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday dissect how Russian state media blends swagger, paranoia, and menace to shape the public mood. They explore what this week’s narratives say about the Kremlin's strategy, and how far it's prepared to go to keep control of the battlefield and the bargaining table.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2363890 ada9946a-dafd-4ff8-9015-745e9084b674 2884 full 1 1 2 2 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:25:42 GMT false <![CDATA[November 23, 2025: Russia Reacts to Trump’s Peace Plan]]> Vesti Nedeli, Russia's Channel 2 news program, opens the week by declaring “Kupyansk is ours” and discussing what it pointedly calls the “Trump peace plan” for Ukraine. Why is Moscow suddenly emphasizing flexibility while keeping its distance from a proposal that could force Russia to part with billions of Euros in frozen assets in Europe? And what does the news program's glowing portrayal of Donald Trump (complete with an AI soccer clip) tell us about how the Kremlin views shifting political winds in Washington? In this episode, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday break down what Russian state media wants its audience to believe, and what the Kremlin may actually be preparing for.

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/russian-news-decoded/2348512 db3b4413-1eda-4d71-95d8-2a3ccc3b9335 2667 full 1 1 1 1 Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:32:13 GMT false