The relationship between Russia and the West is once again deep in crisis. A major reason is that Western leaders have too often believed or hoped that Russia sees the world as they do – but things look very different from Moscow. In confronting the West, Russia is implementing strategic and doctrinal approaches that have been consistent for centuries.
The roots of current Russian behaviour and demands can be traced not just to the Soviet era, but back into Tsarist foreign and domestic policy, and further to the structure and rules of Russian society. These factors give the US and the West pointers for how to behave – and how not to – in order to manage the challenge of Russia effectively.
Moscow Rules – What Drives Russia to Confront the West recognises the reality of confrontation and provides an essential introduction to grasping why Russia sees it as inevitable.
The book will be launched at a lunch seminar on Stockholm Free World Forum on Monday February 18. The launch will be held as a discussion with the author, Keir Giles, a leading Russia-expert at Chatham House and CSRC with 25+ years of Russia-experience, who explains why its current leadership feels it has no choice but to challenge and attack the West. The discussant of the seminar will be Dr. Oscar Jonsson, acting director of Stockholm Free World Forum.
TIME: Monday February 18, 12.00-13.00 Lunch will be served from 11.30
LOCATION: Stockholm Free World Forum. Kungsgatan 60, Stockholm.
RSVP: Pre-registration (at the bottom of this page) is required.
Book: The book will be available for sale at the event for 245 SEK (Swish or card).
Please note that invitations are personal and pre-registration is mandatory.
Keir Giles is a senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House as well as Director for the Conflict Studies Research Centre of the UK Defence Academy. Keir has over 25 years of Russia-experience and has published widely on Russian military affairs, information warfare, and military doctrine.
Oscar Jonsson is Acting Director of Stockholm Free World Forum and an associate researcher of Swedish Defence University. He has earlier worked as a subject-matter expert at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters and been a visiting researcher at UC Berkeley. Oscar holds a PhD from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London which focused on the Russian understanding of modern war.