The Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and the Program on U.S.-Russia Relations at the Harriman Institute present:

Book Talk: Getting Russia Right

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Wednesday, January 24, 2024

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

1219 IAB

Moderated by Alexander Cooley, Claire Tow Professor of Political Science & Vice Provost for Research, Libraries and Academic Centers, Barnard College

With Thomas Graham, Author of Getting Russia Right; Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

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Event Abstract:

As U.S.-Russian relations scrape the depths of Cold War antagonism, the promise of partnership that beguiled American administrations during the first post-Soviet decades increasingly appears to have been false from the start. Why did American leaders persist in pursuing it? Was there another path that would have produced more constructive relations or better prepared Washington to face the challenge Russia poses today?

With a practitioner’s eye honed during decades of work on Russian affairs, Thomas Graham deftly traces the evolution of opposing ideas of national purpose that created an inherent tension in relations. Getting Russia Right identifies the blind spots that prevented Washington from seeing Russia as it really is and crafting a policy to advance American interests without provoking an aggressive Russian response. Distilling the Putin factor to reveal the contours of the Russia challenge facing the United States whenever he departs the scene, Graham lays out a compelling way to deal with it so that the United States can continue to advance its interests in a rapidly changing world.

Author Bio:

Thomas E. Graham is a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a cofounder of Yale University’s Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies program and sits on its faculty steering committee. He is also a research fellow at Yale’s MacMillan Center. He has been a lecturer in global affairs and political science since 2011, teaching courses on U.S.-Russian relations and Russian foreign policy, as well as cybersecurity and counterterrorism. Graham was special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia on the National Security Council staff from 2004 to 2007, during which he managed a White House-Kremlin strategic dialogue. He was director for Russian affairs on the staff from 2002 to 2004.