It's all eyes on Alaska as the summit between President Trump, President Putin and possibly President Zelensky looms. The stakes of these peace talks - for Ukraine, for Russia and for the West - are incredibly high. 

Given his cool and confident exterior, we wondered about the cards Putin currently holds in his hand. How strong is his position not only in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but at home? Has his grip on power ever been tighter? 

To find out, Geraldine Doogue (2025 Andrew Olle lecture) and Hamish Macdonald (ABC Sydney Mornings, The Project) spoke to Anna Nemtsova - an award-winning Russian-born journalist who grew up in the Soviet Union and now writes for publications like The Daily Beast and The Atlantic. The picture that Anna painted of life inside Russia today was... surprising, to say the least! 

Recommendations:

Hamish: Hamas built an underground war machine to ensure its own survival - Washington Post

Geraldine: The cold war guru whose warnings on Russia still stand - The Rachman Review podcast

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