Can War In Ukraine Be Avoided? An American-Russian Conversation

At a time of deep crisis between the United States, NATO, and Russia, it is vitally important to identify real American and Russian interests and goals.

To discuss and debate this crisis from Russian and American perspectives, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft hosted a conversation between Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the presidium of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and Editor in Chief of Russia in Global Affairs, and Thomas Graham, former U.S. diplomat and distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. The conversation was moderated by Anatol Lieven, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute.

Panelists

Fyodor Lukyanov

Fyodor Lukyanov is Chairman of Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, the oldest Russian NGO providing expertise in the foreign policy field, and editor-in-chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal published in Russian and English with the participation of Foreign Affairs. As head of Russia in Global Affairs since its founding in 2002, he greatly contributed to making this journal Russia’s most authoritative source of expert opinion on global development issues. He is also research director at the International Valdai discussion club, and a member of presidium of Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC). Fyodor Lukyanov is research professor at Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

Thomas Graham

Thomas Graham is a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a cofounder of the Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies program at Yale University and sits on its faculty steering committee. He is also a research fellow at the MacMillan Center at Yale. 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.

Anatol Lieven (Moderator)

Anatol Lieven is senior research fellow on Russia and Europe at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He was formerly a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar and in the War Studies Department of King’s College London. He is a member of the academic board of the Valdai discussion club in Russia, and a member of the advisory committee of the South Asia Department of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Lieven worked as a British journalist in South Asia, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and is author of several books on Russia and its neighbours. He holds a BA and PhD from Cambridge University in England.