Does Putin fear for his life, and are he and his Western opponents still acting rationally?

Is Vladimir Putin still acting with calculation, or has the Kremlin leader stopped holding back? A new episode of Die Presse’s podcast puts those questions alongside the war in Ukraine, hybrid warfare against Europe and the pursuit of Russian entrepreneurs.

The 45th episode brings together Russia specialist Gerhard Mangott and economist Vasily Astrov of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies. They examine what lay behind CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow and whether Donald Trump made a clever move by inviting Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to the G20 finance ministers’ meeting.

The discussion also asks which European politicians are taking the most sensible approach to Russia. Eduard Steiner, Die Presse’s longtime Russia correspondent, and Astrov offer analysis of the Russian economy and challenge claims they believe do not match reality.

The podcast explores whether Western sanctions are weakening Russia or whether Russia’s economy no longer needs Europe. It is available at DiePresse.com/podcast, through major podcast platforms and on YouTube. Eduard Steiner edited the episode, with production by Georg Gferer and audio-funnel.com.