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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Examining PRC Activities in the Arctic

Please join the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 9:30am EDT for a conversation with Iris A. Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience, on PRC activities in the Arctic.

Event — December 5, 2024

The Eurofile

US-EU Relations under Trump 2.0 with Dan Kelemen and Federico Steinberg

Max and Donatienne are joined by Dan Kelemen and Federico Steinberg to discuss the implications of Trump’s return to the White House for US-EU relations, including the transatlantic economy and Europe’s efforts to strengthen the rule of law.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann, Donatienne Ruy, R. Daniel Kelemen, and Federico Steinberg — November 26, 2024

CSIS
Russian Roulette

What Will Trump 2.0 Mean for the War in Ukraine?

Max and Maria speak with Michael Kimmage to take stock of the impact of the recent U.S. elections on the future of the war in Ukraine, and U.S. policy towards Russia.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann, Maria Snegovaya, and Michael Kimmage — November 15, 2024

Russian Roulette podcast logo
The Eurofile

European Security and Defense under Trump 2.0 with Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend

Max and Donatienne are joined by Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend, hosts of the Brussels Sprouts podcast at the Center for a New American Security, to discuss the implications of Trump’s return to the White House for European security, Ukraine, and US-Europe relations.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann and Donatienne Ruy — November 14, 2024

CSIS
Audio Briefs

The United States Now Wants European Strategic Autonomy

An audio version of “The United States Now Wants European Strategic Autonomy,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Max Bergmann. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann — November 8, 2024

Audio Briefs
The Eurofile

US Election Reaction: Trump Returns

Max and Donatienne discuss the implications for Europe from Trump’s imminent return to the White House.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann and Donatienne Ruy — November 8, 2024

CSIS
Russian Roulette

Sorin Ioniță and Eto Buziashvili on the Pivotal Elections in Moldova and Georgia

Max and Maria spoke with Sorin Ioniță and Eto Buziashvili about the recent election results coming out of Moldova and Georgia. Both of these post-Soviet states find themselves at a geopolitical crossroads, with Russian malign influence campaigns directly impacting their domestic politics.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann and Maria Snegovaya — November 1, 2024

Russian Roulette podcast logo
The Eurofile

Cecilia Malmström on the Future of EU Trade Policy

Max and Donatienne are joined by Cecilia Malmström, former European commissioner for trade (from 2014 to 2019) and European commissioner for home affairs (from 2010 to 2014), to discuss the evolution of the EU’s trade policy, EU-China ties on trade, and the state of transatlantic economic and trade relations.

Podcast Episode by Max Bergmann and Donatienne Ruy — October 31, 2024

CSIS