Pavel Baev, nonresident senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe, addresses the character and ambitions of President Vladimir Putin and discusses what policies to pursue in managing the challenging U.S.-Russia relationship. Also in this episode, Molly Reynolds, fellow in Governance Studies, provides her regular “What’s Happening in Congress” update. This week: special elections in Kansas and Georgia and avoiding government shutdown. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts  or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at  on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the