Sergey Radchenko
@radchenko.bsky.social
Historian of the Cold War and after. Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor, Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. The author of “To Run the World.”
Thrilled to say that the great Archie Brown has written a 29(!)-page review of To Run the World, and Una Bergmane's excellent book, Politics of Uncertainty, for The English Historical Review. Read it here: watermark02.silverchair.com/ceaf192.pdf?....
watermark02.silverchair.com
“China’s rise has not happened outside the systems its rivals built, but through Beijing’s skillful exploitation of them,” write Enrico Fardella and @radchenko.bsky.social. China’s continued success therefore “depends on the U.S.-led order.”
China Is Sabotaging the World That Enables Its Rise
Beijing’s risky bet against the West.
foreignaffairs.com
A controversial view, I know, but on any given day, I will take a meaningless deal that ends a war over a meaningless war that never ends.
Putin on peace talks, China, and "Russia's place" in the world open.substack.com/pub/profradc....
Putin on peace talks, China, and "Russia's place" in the world
Reflections on the latest iteration of St. Petersburg's economic forum (SPIEF)
open.substack.com
Had a fun discussion with @marceldirsus.com about my next book, Power Play, which will soon be published by PublicAffairs.
Marcel Dirsus@marceldirsus.com · 2mo agoMoscow has always used oil and gas as a political weapon. I sat down with @radchenko.bsky.social to trace how they did it and why it failed so often. We discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union, the war in Ukraine and a whole lot more. Watch here: youtu.be/_6DjHnCi_VM
So, if anyone missed out on my article in the Guardian about me renouncing my Russian citizenship, here is the audio version, which I read myself (at the Guardian!): www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2.... I've never done this genre. Let me know what you think!
‘I had poked the bear right in the eye’: my fight to renounce my Russian citizenship – podcast
When Putin invaded Ukraine, he raised murder to the level of national policy. I felt guilt by association. And I had to actWritten and read by Sergey Radchenko
theguardian.com
So the biggest take-away from the Putin-Xi summit is that *despite* the crazy situation in the Strait of Hormuz, China is still refusing to back Power of Siberia 2. Despite Putin trying very hard before the visit to hint that a breakthrough was in the offing. Wow.
Sergej Radchenko: “Putin non ha cambiato idea, vuole la capitolazione di Kiev” https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2026/05/12/news/putin_pace_guerra_ucraina_radchenko-425338573/?rss
🚫 Journal of Olympic Studies Vol. 7, No. 1, is a special issue: "Boycotting Montreal, Moscow, and Los Angeles: The Olympics After Détente," guest edited by Christopher Young and Robert Edelman. Featuring work by @radchenko.bsky.social and more. scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jos/issu...
I have a piece at Le Grand Continent, where I preview the subject of my new book, which is about how Russia has used oil and gas as weapons of foreign policy. As you'd expect, this is not something Putin has come up with. The practice has deep roots going back to the 1950s.
Grand Continent@grandcontinent.bsky.social · 3mo ago« Les vapeurs du pétrole et de l'empire ont-elles fini par intoxiquer toute la Russie ? » Une étude fouillée de @radchenko.bsky.social sur l’Empire fossile de Poutine—à lire absolument. legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/04/2...
I hope you all enjoy reading this review of Antony Beevor's new biography of Rasputin as much I enjoyed writing it. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/.... And buy the book!
Rasputin by Antony Beevor — the corrupt prophet at the heart of a rotten Russian empire
The peasant who became a powerful adviser was a symptom, not the cause, of the Romanovs’ downfall, argues the ‘Stalingrad’ author
giftarticle.ft.com
So, shockingly, I have an article in the Journal of Olympic Studies. scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jos/arti.... It's co-authored with Mikhail Prozumenshchikov of the Russian archives, and it tells the (quite curious) story of the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics: The Soviet Perspective
Abstract. Drawing on newly available Soviet archival materials, including hitherto unseen KGB reports, this article delves into the Soviet perspective on the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Soviet leaders expec...
scholarlypublishingcollective.org
Folks, in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine project, I need to get connected to Prime Minister Pashinyan's office. If anyone has leads/contacts, could you DM me? Many thanks!
I spoke to Pyotr Kurzin about Russia-Ukraine. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM_P....
The Real Reason Russia Invaded Ukraine | Sergey Radchenko
YouTube video by Pyotr Kurzin | Geopolitics
youtube.com
Over the last few days I received quite an overwhelming number of e-mails in relation to this piece: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a.... I'll try to answer them all, albeit gradually. The piece is superficially about Russia. But I think it's fundamentally about understanding one's own identity.
‘I had poked the bear right in the eye’: my fight to renounce my Russian citizenship
The long read: When Putin invaded Ukraine, he raised murder to the level of national policy. I felt guilt by association. And I had to act
theguardian.com
Thank, Jim. Truly humbled by all the attention this piece has been getting. It does speak to dilemmas people face: this is certainly not just my story.
Jim Goldgeier@jimgoldgeier.bsky.social · 4mo agoExtraordinarily moving piece by the great historian @radchenko.bsky.social on renouncing his Russian citizenship www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
I have a long piece in the Guardian about... well, myself. As a writer and a historian, I generally tell other people's stories. So, this story was difficult to write. It took me about six months. It's about my understanding of my own identity: who, or what am I, really?
"For all of Putin’s huffing and puffing, Russia is really no more than a regional power, just as U.S. President Barack Obama once averred." bsky.app/profile/radc...
Sergey Radchenko@radchenko.bsky.social · 4mo agoWe tend to assume that Trump's war against Iran is helping Putin, but this is only true if the war becomes a quagmire. That's a big if. My latest for Foreign Policy: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/30/t....
We tend to assume that Trump's war against Iran is helping Putin, but this is only true if the war becomes a quagmire. That's a big if. My latest for Foreign Policy: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/30/t....
Putin’s Persian Problem
Don’t overthink it. The Iran war is bad for Russia.
foreignpolicy.com
Behind Washington’s failure to predict the Iranian Revolution of 1979 lay a long history of hubris, strategic miscalculations and delusional thinking. How the United States lost Iran | @radchenko.bsky.social engelsbergideas.com/reviews/how-...
How the United States lost Iran
Behind Washington’s failure to predict the Iranian Revolution of 1979 lay a long history of hubris, strategic miscalculations and delusional thinking.
engelsbergideas.com
For UK audiences. *To Run the World* is now available in paperback (as of last week), and can be purchased here: www.amazon.co.uk/Run-World-Kr.... Priced at £14.99, so never cheaper! Your leisurely beach reaching as the summer arrives.
My review of Scott Anderson's superb book.
Engelsberg Ideas@engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 5mo agoBehind Washington’s failure to predict the Iranian Revolution of 1979 lay a long history of hubris, strategic miscalculations and delusional thinking. How the United States lost Iran | @radchenko.bsky.social engelsbergideas.com/reviews/how-...
American-led upheaval. Do we need a new term? Some thoughts. open.substack.com/pub/profradc...
American-led upheaval.
Is there still an axis or do we need a new framing?
open.substack.com
Iran in the Cold War. A useful background read from To Run the World. open.substack.com/pub/profradc...
Iran in the Cold War
A useful background read.
open.substack.com
Ah look what’s here: the paperback version of Two Run the World. Never been a better time to buy a copy! www.amazon.com/Run-World-Kr....
To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power
To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power [Radchenko, Sergey] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power
amazon.com
"Killing the chicken to scare the monkey: How Moscow and Beijing have reacted to the U.S. and Israeli strikes against the Middle East." My thoughts. open.substack.com/pub/profradc...
Killing the chicken to scare the monkey
How Moscow and Beijing have reacted to the U.S. and Israeli strikes against the Middle East
open.substack.com
Got to talk about the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is always disturbing and fun. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dft....
Cuban missile crisis | What if Arkhipov & Soviet sub B-59 had fired its torpedos? | History Undone
YouTube video by History Undone
youtube.com
