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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.