Despite predictions that the Russian military budget had reached its peak, the recently announced 2025/26 budget shows otherwise. To keep the war machine oiled and functioning, the Russian government is once again raising military spending substantially to levels not seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some in the Russian elites believe that ongoing high demand in the military industrial complex will expedite economic growth. Several miscalculations by the West and a lack of massive military achievements from Ukraine have allowed the Russian economy to withstand the pressure of sanctions. But how sustainable is the current economic strategy, and how long can Putin fund his atrocious war while damaging crucial yet vulnerable economic sectors like healthcare, education, and science?
Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Dara Massicot, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, and independent researcher Alexey Gusev to discuss the unprecedented turn of events at the frontline following Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region.
Carnegie Politika podcast host Alexander Gabuev is joined by prominent historian Mary Elise Sarotte to discuss the past, present and future of NATO and European security amid the war in Ukraine.
Carnegie Politika podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Carnegie Europe's director Rosa Balfour and senior fellow Tom de Waal to discuss Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, and Serbia, which find themselves caught between Russia and the EU.
Carnegie Politika podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, to discuss the outcome of Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to North Korea.
Carnegie Politika podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at Carnegie Russia Eurasia, and Dara Massicot, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine and Russia's economic stability following Moscow's government reshuffle.