The Trialogue
Peter Slezkine
Peter Slezkine, the Director of the USA-Russia-China Trialogue project at the Stimson Center, hosts a series of conversations with experts and ex-officials from the United States, Russia, China and beyond to discuss cold wars past and present, potential areas of conflict and cooperation, and alternative visions of global order, among other subjects. Since the middle of the 20th century, the shifting relationship among the United States, Russia, and China has had a profound impact on each country separately and on the world as a whole. Yet the breakdown of contacts, combined with political, cultural, and linguistic barriers, have hindered the study of the full trilateral dynamic. At a time when even bilateral channels of communication have begun to break down, the Trialogue offers a new and necessary perspective on the defining geopolitical relationship of our time.
*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
**The first twelve episodes of this podcast were published by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
**The first twelve episodes of this podcast were published by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
Episodes
Mentioned books
13 snips
May 9, 2025 • 56min
Da Wei: Will the US and China Decouple or Rebalance?
Da Wei, a director at Tsinghua University's Center for International Security and Strategy, shares his insights on crucial U.S.-China relations. He discusses the impacts of Trump's tariffs and whether the U.S. is aiming to decouple from China or simply rebalance trade. The conversation touches on China's need to boost domestic consumption, the challenges of linking trade to Taiwan, and Russia's evolving global role. Da Wei also explores the possibilities of a multipolar order and its implications for international relations.
Apr 25, 2025 • 46min
Robert Agee: An American Businessman in Moscow
Robert Agee, President of AmCham Russia, joins us to discuss American business in Russia since the 90s, who left and how after the start of the war in Ukraine, who suffered and benefited from Western sanctions, and the outlook for American (and Chinese) business in Russia going forward.Time Stamps:00:45 What is AmCham?02:29 How did you end up at Xerox in Russia in the 90s?04:58 American business in Russia until 202211:09 What businesses left after the start of the war and how?21:12 Who benefited from the departure of Western companies?25:11 The Chinese takeover of the Russian automotive sector29:48 Business under sanctions35:17 How changes should be made to US sanctions?40:36 Is the Russian market actually all that enticing?44:13 Should we let China dominate the Russian market?*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Apr 18, 2025 • 47min
Dynkin and Voitolovsky: Welcome to Washington
Alexander Dynkin and Feodor Voitolovsky, President and Director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations at the Russian Academy of Sciences, join us to discuss their return to Washington, the war in Ukraine, and Sino-Russian relations, among other subjects.Time Stamps:00:59 Returning to Washington for the first time since 201903:28 Will US-Russia relations improve under Trump?09:39 The possibility of three-way strategic arms control among the US, Russia, and China11:45 The future of bilateral US-Russia strategic arms control15:00 The war in Ukraine19:43 “Denazification” and Russian historical memory23:18 Russia’s biggest mistake in Ukraine25:46 Likelihood of future Russia-Ukraine reconciliation29:57 Humanitarian issues related to a Ukrainian settlement31:25 History of national borders in the former Russian empire34:51 Sino-Russian relations*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Apr 17, 2025 • 1h 19min
The Trialogue Live: April 8, 2025
This episode is a recording of a live event held online on April 8. Lanxin Xiang, Andrey Kortunov, and Emma Ashford joined me to discuss the state of theUS-Russia-China trilateral relationship.*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Apr 11, 2025 • 59min
Reinhard Krumm: How Boxed In is Berlin?
Reinhard Krumm of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung joins us to discuss Germany’s reversal on Russia and a new American Ostpolitik.Time Stamps:00:54 What is the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung?02:00 How was Vance’s Munich speech received in Germany?06:49 What is the future of the trans-Atlantic relationship?16:45 Is Germany sovereign?21:40 Nord Stream26:17 German Ostpolitik since the 60s31:23 Maidan and the Minsk agreements39:22 Can Germany negotiate with Russia?48:39 How real is the Russian threat to Europe?*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Apr 4, 2025 • 45min
Christopher Caldwell: The Right since Reagan
Writer Christopher Caldwell joins us to discuss the legacy of Ronald Reagan, the rise of a “New Right,” and the fate of the West.Time Stamps:00:56 What is the New Right?12:53 Revisiting Reagan’s legacy17:24 Trump’s revolution20:43 US foreign policy since Reagan25:55 Whither the West33:43 Immigration in Europe and the US38:10 Russia and China42:16 The limits of American autarchy?*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Mar 21, 2025 • 44min
Zhao Long: Is Beijing Worried about US-Russia Rapprochement?
This week, our guest is Zhao Long, Deputy Director of the Institute for Global Strategic and Security Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies. We discuss the prospects of the US splitting Russia from China and China peeling Europe away from the US, among other subjects.Time Stamps:00:55 Is Beijing worried about a US-Russia rapprochement?24:36 Can China profit from a transatlantic rift?34:24 What part will China play in a Ukraine settlement?40:22 What lessons did Beijing draw from the Trump-Zelensky spat in the Oval Office?*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Mar 14, 2025 • 45min
Anastasia Likhacheva: Surviving “sanctions from hell”
This week, our guest is Anastasia Likhacheva, Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Time Stamps:01:48 Studying sanctions since 201603:27 Nord Stream and the abrupt change in European attitudes after February 20226:22 Western companies leaving (and returning) to Russia after February 20228:52 Inability of both Western and Russian experts to correctly predict the trajectory of the Russian economy after the application of sanctions13:40 “We started to pivot to the East before it was fashionable”16:57 Sanctions don’t work if third countries don’t cooperate21:23 The future of sanctions24:04 Prospects of sanctions relief32:10 Economic beneficiaries of external sanctions34:24 Continued Russian tourism in Europe35:46 A new generation of Russian elites39:58 How do your students see the world?*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Mar 7, 2025 • 36min
Fyodor Lukyanov: What in the world is the “world majority”?
This week, our guest is Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs, Professor at the Higher School of Economics, and Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club. What is it like to sit on stage with Putin? When did relations with the West go wrong? And what in the world is the “world majority”?Time Stamps:00:53 Moderating Putin’s Q&A sessions06:24 Perestroika and the unresolved debate about Russia’s role14:18 When did relations with the West go wrong?20:58 How has your professional life changed since February 2022?23:32 “World majority,” “multipolar world,” and “civilization state”32:31 Islam, immigration, and downward demographic trends*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
Feb 28, 2025 • 1h 6min
Andrew Roth: A decade of reporting from Russia
This week, our guest is Andrew Roth, Global Affairs Correspondent at The Guardian. We discuss the twists and turns of Andrew’s ten-year career as a reporter in Moscow. Time Stamps:03:12 Arrival in Russia in 201108:04 The 2012 protests12:39 Foreign journalists in Moscow23:02 Reporting in East Ukraine in 2014-1635:25 Covering Zelensky45:30 Edward Snowden49:19 Evan Gershkovich57:27 Washington’s China obsession*The Trialogue Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.
