Maria Snegovaya

Senior Fellow, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program
Maria Snegovaya

Maria Snegovaya is a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a postdoctoral fellow in Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. She studies Russia’s domestic and foreign policy, as well as democratic backsliding in post-communist Europe and the tactics used by Russian actors and proxies who exploit these dynamics in the region. Her analysis has been published in multiple policy and peer-reviewed journals. Her research and commentary have appeared in a number of publications such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Economist, and Foreign Policy. Throughout her career she has collaborated with multiple U.S. research centers and think tanks such as Center for a New American Security and Center for European Policy Analysis. Snegovaya holds a PhD in political science from Columbia University.

 

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When Left Moves Right

When Left Moves Right

Over the past two decades, postcommunist countries have undergone a striking shift in the electoral fortunes of their political parties: once-dominant center-left parties suffered dramatic defeats and faded from the political stage, while right-wing populist parties surged in popularity and seized power. This pattern closely paralleled developments in Western Europe and raises a critical question: were these dynamics connected? Maria Snegovaya’s latest book argues that they were, with the key link being the pro-market rebranding of the ex-communist left, fueling the rise of right-wing populism in countries where the left had embraced market reforms.

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Executive Education

Global Foresight: Preparing for Future Trends

Global Foresight: Preparing for Future Trends is Washington’s premier executive course for mid-to senior-level professionals responsible for helping their organizations identify and prepare for the global macrotrends that will drive change for the next 30 years.

Course Date: April 27, 2026
Registration Closes: April 13, 2026

Indo-Pacific Forecast 2026

Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy (GFP) Department's annual preview of political, economic, and security developments across the region.

Event — January 14, 2026

Russian Roulette

Adam Entous on U.S.-Ukraine Relations in 2025

Adam Entous of The New York Times talks his in-depth investigation exploring the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine in 2025.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann, Maria Snegovaya, and Adam Entous — January 8, 2026

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Russian Roulette

Sergey Radchenko on Ukraine Peace Negotiations

Max and Maria spoke with Sergey Radchenko about the state of affairs in peace negotiations over Ukraine as we come to the close of 2025. They discuss the different parties' goals and positions, and how this current round of negotiations compares to the talks in Istanbul at the start of the full-scale invasion back in 2022.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann, Maria Snegovaya, and Sergey Rachenko — December 18, 2025

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State of Play

Where now for Europe and Ukraine after the NSS?

Max Bergmann and Maria Snegovaya join Will to discuss what we should expect from ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman, Max Bergmann, and Maria Snegovaya — December 10, 2025

Photo: iLab/CSIS

The Unfinished Plan for Peace in Ukraine: Provision by Provision

President Trump is pressuring Ukraine to sign his 28-point “peace agreement,” amid criticism that the plan is pro-Russian and too vague to implement. This is not an agreement but may be a starting point. Indeed, the Europeans have put forth their own, more balanced version.

Report by Mark F. Cancian and Maria Snegovaya — November 24, 2025

CRINK in 10 Charts

China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (CRINK) are increasingly cooperating to challenge the United States and global governance. These 10 charts showcase how China and Russia anchor CRINK cooperation and how the war in Ukraine has accelerated CRINK alignment. 

Commentary by Brian Hart, Bonny Lin, Maria Snegovaya, and Mona Yacoubian — November 24, 2025

Russian Roulette

The Increased Level of Repressions Within the Russian Elite

Max and Maria spoke with Nikolay Petrov and Mikhail Troitskiy, two leading experts on the contemporary Russian elite, to discuss the current status of this ruling group inside Russia today, and why it finds itself increasingly under pressure from state security organs.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann and Maria Snegovaya — November 20, 2025

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