Maria Snegovaya

Maria Snegovaya is a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she leads research on Russia’s domestic and foreign policy, democratic backsliding in post-communist Europe, and strategies employed by Russian actors to influence regional dynamics. Snegovaya also serves as a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, with expertise in political science and international affairs. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University and has collaborated with U.S. think tanks, including the Center for a New American Security and the Center for European Policy Analysis, focusing on policy analysis and academic research in Russian and Eurasian studies.

Snegovaya’s analysis has been featured in outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Economist, and Foreign Policy. Her peer-reviewed research appears in journals including West European Politics, Party Politics, and the Journal of Democracy, with a focus on authoritarianism, disinformation, and the political landscape in Eurasia. She is the author of the book "When Left Moves Right: The Decline of the Left and the Rise of the Populist Right in Postcommunist Europe," which examines the transformation of political parties and the rise of populism in the region.

Snegovaya is a public speaker and commentator, regularly appearing on podcasts, panels, and public forums, including co-hosting the Center for Strategic and International Studies podcast "Russian Roulette," where she provides analysis of events and trends in Russia and Eurasia. Her work addresses the Russian wartime economy, the state of Russia’s defense industry, and the conflict in Ukraine, offering insights on complex geopolitical developments for policymakers and the public.