September 01, 2023

A Post-Prigozhin Wagner Group with Kimberly Marten and Vanda Felbab-Brown

Last week, the world learned the shocking news that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the notorious head of Wagner private military company, died in a plane crash north of Moscow. Prigozhin’s demise came exactly two months after he launched a mutiny against Russian military leadership, which may be called the most significant and direct threat to Vladimir Putin’s regime since he came to power two decades ago. Now, it is far from certain whether Wagner can replicate its previous success without Prigozhin at the helm, and if not, whether other groups can effectively fill the vacuum. To discuss the post-Prigozhin future, Kim Marten and Vanda Felbab-Brown join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Kimberly Marten is a professor of political science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Her current research focuses on Russian foreign and security policies, NATO enlargement, and the global politics of climate change.

Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies

  • Commentary
    • Foreign Affairs
    • April 23, 2024
    The Axis of Upheaval

    The West has been too quick to dismiss the coordination among China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia....

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Richard Fontaine

  • Podcast
    • April 19, 2024
    The State of the War in Ukraine with Michael Kofman

    As the war in Ukraine continues into its third year, the mood has become increasingly dark. While territorial changes continue to be minor, Russia’s slow but steady advances a...

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Michael Kofman

  • Podcast
    • March 22, 2024
    Putin’s Fifth Term and Russian Domestic Politics

    This past weekend, Russians went to the polls for the country’s presidential election. To the surprise of no one, Vladimir Putin emerged victorious with a record-high 87 perce...

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Dr. Angela Stent & Joshua Yaffa

  • Commentary
    • POLITICO Europe
    • March 5, 2024
    What NATO allies must do to prepare for Russian aggression

    While it’s expensive to do what’s necessary to deter major aggression, it would be far more expensive to fight a major war if deterrence fails....

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Greg Weaver

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia