Max Bergmann

Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center
Max Bergmann

Max Bergmann is the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS he was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he focused on Europe, Russia, and U.S. security cooperation. From 2011 to 2017, he served in the U.S. Department of State in a number of different positions, including as a member of the secretary of state’s policy planning staff, where he focused on political-military affairs and nonproliferation; special assistant to the undersecretary for arms control and international security; speechwriter to then secretary of state John Kerry; and senior adviser to the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. Before serving in the State Department, Bergmann worked at the Center for American Progress as a military and nonproliferation policy analyst and at the National Security Network as the deputy policy director. Bergmann holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Bates College. His recent commentary has been published in outlets such as Politico (March 2022, August 2022), the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, and Sasakawa USA.

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Manila Strategy Forum 2026

The Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in collaboration with Amador Research Services, is pleased to announce that the 2026 Manila Strategy Forum.
 

Event — September 9, 2026

The Eurofile

Germany's China Problem: What Can Europe Do About It?

Max sits down with Sander Tordoir, Chief Economist at the Centre for European Reform. They dig into whether Brussels has the tools and political will to push back on Beijing, and how one October deadline could force the bloc to confront these issues head-on.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann and Sander Tordoir — July 30, 2026

CSIS
Russian Roulette

Has the War Come Home to Russia?

Max Bergmann speaks with Maria Snegovaya and Jade McGlynn about how Russians have reacted to major shocks in recent years and whether current polling truly reflects changing attitudes toward the war.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann, Maria Snegovaya, and Jade McGlynn — July 27, 2026

Russian Roulette podcast logo
State of Play

Was This World Cup More Political?  

Max Bergmann, Victor Cha, and Enoh Ebong join Will to assess the geopolitical dimensions of this year's World Cup in a live episode of State of Play.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman, Max Bergmann, Victor Cha, and Enoh T. Ebong — July 17, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Rebuilding to Reconquer: Can Russia’s Defense Firms Deliver?

After four years of war, Russia’s defense industrial base has significantly reshaped, creating an asymmetric threat to NATO: It can rapidly scale production of weapons proven on the battlefield, combining Soviet-style resource allocation with selective market mechanisms.

Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, Nicholas Fenton, and Max Bergmann — July 14, 2026