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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.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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August 10, 2026: Blame Russia for Everything
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Aug 11, 2026 |
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August 3, 2026: So Many Ways to Go Wrong
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Aug 04, 2026 |
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July 27, 2026: Rallying Around the Flag
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Jul 28, 2026 |
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July 20, 2026: Getting Down to Business
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Jul 21, 2026 |
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July 13, 2026: "Time Is on Our Side"
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Jul 14, 2026 |
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July 6, 2026: Does Putin Have a Way Out?
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Jul 07, 2026 |
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June 29, 2026: Putin Takes the Wheel
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Jun 30, 2026 |
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June 15, 2026: Putin's Magic Wears Off
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Jun 16, 2026 |
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June 8, 2026: Putin Says 'Nyet' to Zelensky's Offer
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Jun 09, 2026 |
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May 25, 2026: The War Goes on and on and on...
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May 26, 2026 |
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May 18, 2026: The Boy Who Cried Sarmat
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May 19, 2026 |
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May 11, 2026: "The Matter Is Coming to an End"
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May 12, 2026 |
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May 3, 2026: Murky Signals From Moscow
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May 05, 2026 |
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April 19, 2026: Turning the Screws on Europe
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Apr 21, 2026 |
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April 12, 2026: Moscow Loses Its Hungarian Trump Card
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Apr 14, 2026 |
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April 5, 2026: "Once Upon a Time, There Was NATO"
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Apr 07, 2026 |
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March 29, 2026: Iran Dominates the Russian News Cycle
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Mar 31, 2026 |
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March 22, 2026: Is a Digital Iron Curtain Falling on Russia?
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Mar 24, 2026 |
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March 15, 2026: A Tale of Two Military Operations
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Mar 17, 2026 |
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March 8, 2026: Is the Iran War an Asset or Liability for Putin?
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Mar 10, 2026 |
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March 1, 2026: Watching Iran from Moscow
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Mar 04, 2026 |
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February 22, 2026: Is Putin Looking for an Exit?
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Feb 24, 2026 |
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February 15, 2026: Tough Love in Munich
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Feb 18, 2026 |
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February 8, 2026: Assassination in Moscow
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Feb 10, 2026 |
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February 1, 2026: Holy War in Ukraine
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Feb 03, 2026 |
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January 25, 2026: Putin's Art of the Deal
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Jan 27, 2026 |
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January 18, 2026: Europe Between a Rock and a Hard Place
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Jan 20, 2026 |
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January 11, 2026: Might Makes Right?
|
Jan 13, 2026 |
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January 4, 2026: Moscow's Muted Response on Venezuela
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
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December 28, 2025: The Kremlin's Year in Review
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Dec 30, 2025 |
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December 14, 2025: Beware What You Wish For
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Dec 16, 2025 |
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December 7, 2025: Putin Visits India
|
Dec 09, 2025 |
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November 30, 2025: Putin Plays for Time on the Trump Peace Plan
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Dec 02, 2025 |
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November 23, 2025: Russia Reacts to Trump’s Peace Plan
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Nov 26, 2025 |