Getting Russia Right

by Thomas Graham

As US-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.

Genres: Russia, Politics, Nonfiction, International Relations, History

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Getting Russia Right," veteran diplomat Thomas Graham delivers a timely and sobering assessment of U.S.-Russia relations. He argues that Washington's longstanding pursuit of partnership with a post-Soviet Russia was fundamentally misguided, overlooking ingrained historical and cultural differences. Graham identifies America's blind spots, including misinterpreting Russia's motivations and underestimating its commitment to its great power ambitions. The book's greatest strength lies in Graham's insider perspective. He draws on his extensive experience in U.S.-Russia diplomacy, from managing the White House-Kremlin dialogue to navigating Cold War tensions, to offer a nuanced understanding of the dynamics shaping the relationship. He dissects the Putin factor, highlighting how the Russian leader's personality and worldview have shaped the country's trajectory. Graham doesn't shy away from critiquing U.S. policies, pointing out the pitfalls of "democratization evangelism" and the dangers of escalating tensions through military interventions. Instead, he advocates for a pragmatic approach based on mutual respect and acknowledgement of core interests. He outlines a series of concrete steps, including arms control measures, confidence-building initiatives, and strategic dialogues, to navigate the challenges and opportunities in the current landscape. While "Getting Russia Right" might not offer radical solutions, its value lies in its reality check. It compels readers to abandon outdated assumptions and engage with Russia as it is, not as they wish it to be. The book is a valuable resource for policymakers, academics, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this complex and often volatile relationship.

[Tommie Whitener · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading books about Russian history and politics for more than fifty years and this is the absolute best. Each of its seven chapters is concise, reflects brilliant scholarship, assumes no particular expertise about Russia and is extremely thought-provoking. Their titles are:
1. The Foundations of America's Russia Policy
2. The Clash of World Views
3. The Paradox of Russian Power
4. Russian National Interest and Grand Strategy
5. The Putin Factor
6. Washington's Blind Spots and Missteps
7. What is to be Done
The last chapter's title is a clever use of the phrase often attributed to Lenin (Что делать?). The bottom line: treat Russia like a great power (whether it qualifies or not), strive for constructive great-power competition and prepare for many years of large and small clashes as our two countries with such different essences and long-term zeitgeists struggle to advance what each of the separately sees as its best interests.

[Ted Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of 2024. Definitely a must-read for folks who desire a behind the curtain view on U.S.-Russia relations after the Cold War. Written by Thomas Graham, the senior director for Russia on the National Security Council staff during the George W. Bush administration, the reader is invited to think through why a post-Cold War relationship by Washington and Moscow never materialized. Much of Graham's book concerns the Clinton administration, the Bush administration, and the Obama administration, focusing on how things went south: actions take by U.S. presidents and by Russian policymakers that helped and hurt the relationship.

While the book speaks to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, the brunt of the text considers the larger relationship and the long-term potential for the world's two nuclear superpowers (possessing 90 percent of the world's stockpile between them). Ultimately, Graham ponders how comfortable Washington will have to be with Russian power and status, while he sees Russia having to eventually inhabit a post-Putin world. He sees geography, geopolitics, and historical memory as being the source of so many clashes. The strength of the book is its analysis and seeking to correct historical blindspots. I loved the comparisons and the contrasts between how the United States and Russia both rose to become great powers: their geographies being totally different and conducive to distinct grand strategies (clearing out a continental landmass of European powers and native Americans vs. maintaining strategic depth to oppose intruders from Western Europe and the steppes).

What was unsatisfying? Graham's conclusion was a bit tough to follow, and I don't see lots of immediate, viable ways forward for Moscow and Washington to maintain even a veneer of a constructive relationship until Putin has died away. The incursions into Georgia, Syria, Latin America, and the African continent might have been awkwardly done away with, but I think the multi-year was in Ukraine with all the associated economic damage, death, trauma, and suffering will requires decades before a new generation of policymakers in both countries will want to move forward.

[Hunter Marston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham, who served on the National Security Council in the George W. Bush administration, brings considerable expertise to the fraught relationship between the United States and Russia. The book usefully adds complexity and nuance based on his keen understanding of Russian history, culture, and the views of Russian leaders. While the book provides a masterful account for the reasons behind the deterioration in US-Russia relations, Graham is perhaps overly sympathetic to Russia and asks too much of US policymakers when he insists that Washington treat Moscow as a great power (in spite of Putin's violations of international law and Russia's declining material power).

Graham argues that we could have averted the current crisis (a new Cold War) if we had “taken Russia seriously as a great power.” And he suggests that excessive U.S. hedging, fueled by uncertainty with regard to Moscow's longterm intentions, led to Russia's invasion of Crimea, without sufficient supporting evidence. Graham is on firmer ground when he explains that Washington has viewed Russia as a declining power, a nuisance and a regional power, rather than a peer competitor on par with China. However, U.S. policies like sanctions and isolation have only pushed Russia into closer alignment with China.

For all the utility of his policy recommendations, his criticism of existing US policy is a bit simplistic and rests on a strawman argument: that Washington doesn’t have a Russia strategy aside from containment. It seems clear that containment is the strategy which Washington has settled on, yet Graham discounts this as a strategy per se because it will not encourage Russia to play a more positive global role in the future. Moreover, some of his recommendations are divorced from reality: e.g., “working with Russia to constrain China.” He provides virtually no evidence that Moscow would be willing to play such a role, and recent pledges by Putin and Xi for a partnership without limits signal that there is little hope that Washington can drive a wedge between the two in a repeat of Kissinger/Nixon's success in exploiting Moscow and Beijing in the 1970s.

In the end, the book was only partly successful in convincing this reader that the United States is equally to blame for the current low point in US-Russia relations - and, by extension, Putin's invasion of Ukraine and alignment with China.

[Dmitry]

Короткой обзор международной политики Российской Федерации, включая исторический период. У меня возникло ощущение, что автор своими словами пересказал многочисленные передовицы из СМИ за разные годы (в основном за время правления Путина). В любом случаи, читать это очень скучно.

Автор очень неконкретен и я так и не понял, что он хотел сказать, т.е. какова была его ключевая мысль. Такое ощущение, что автор предлагал США начать слушать Россию, особенно касаемо её сферы интересов, т.е. постсоветских стран.

It's a short overview of the international policy of the Russian Federation, including (very briefly) the historical period. I had a feeling that the author retold numerous editorials from the media for different years (mostly during Putin's reign). In any case, it is very boring to read.

The author is very unspecific, so I never understood what he wanted to say, i.e., what was his key point. The author seemed to suggest that the US should start listening to Russia, especially with regard to its sphere of interest, i.e., post-Soviet countries.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview of Russian and U.S. relations, especially concerning the Clinton administrations onward. Some of the chapters were a little too broad and surface level; oftentimes I found myself reading something good, but wondering when the next step of analysis would happen. For instance, the Partnership for Peace relied on some fundamental misunderstandings between Russia and the U.S., that was glossed over in 2 sentences. However, chapters 2 and 6 were very good and offered very clear criticisms and alternatives without proclaiming to know everything or have a silver bullet for Russia. This type of understanding of Russia and pragmatic approach to relations, acknowledging the fundamental differences between Russia and the U.S., is what's needed going forward.

[Frank Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham, in a brief 200-plus pages, brilliantly encapsulates post-Soviet Russia. US-Russia relations during that time, and how it all went so wrong. He then lays out scenarios of the US and other democracies can and must deal with Putin’s Russia. A must read to understand the world we live in today with an aggressive, aggrieved, and diminished Russia.

[Alex Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting Russia Right offers a refreshingly nuanced and pragmatic approach to understanding U.S.–Russia relations, grounded in deep expertise and clear-eyed analysis. Graham does a fantastic job in arguing that Washington should reevaluate the goals and limits of its power and frame its rivalry with Moscow in terms of geopolitical competition rather than simply a battle between good and evil.

[Robert D · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this was a difficult read, as it was certainly full of information and thoughts, I found it fascinating and very well thought out and informative. I feel much more understanding of Russia and it’s leaders as a result of reading. I highly recommend it!