Debate: Is a Peace Agreement in Ukraine Possible?
As the war’s fourth anniversary approaches, there is still no clear end in sight—either on the battlefield or at the negotiating table. While direct talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have begun, core questions remain unanswered: Does Moscow truly want to end the fighting while it maintains the upper hand on the battlefield? Are Ukraine’s leaders willing to make the difficult concessions necessary to stop the painful attacks on the battlefield, Kyiv and the energy grid—even if it costs them their political future? Could European leaders accept peace terms that require them to treat Moscow less as a pariah and more as a partner on the continent?
George Beebe and John Mearsheimer debated whether a peace agreement can be reached, or if the war’s complexities render diplomacy impractical, leaving victory on the battlefield as the only realistic outcome. George Beebe, director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute and former Russia director at the CIA, argued that a peace agreement is possible. John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison distinguished professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, made the case that the war will only be settled on the battlefield. Emily Jashinsky, the host of the podcast AfterParty and a columnist at UnHerd, moderated.
Panelists
John Mearsheimer
John J. Mearsheimer is a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute and the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He graduated from West Point (1970), has a PhD in political science from Cornell University (1981), and has written extensively about security issues and international politics. Among his seven books, "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics" (2001, 2014) won the Joseph Lepgold Book Prize, and "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" (with Stephen M. Walt, 2007), made the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into twenty-four languages.
George Beebe
George Beebe is director of grand strategy at the Quincy Institute. He spent more than two decades in government as an intelligence analyst, diplomat, and policy advisor, including as director of the CIA’s Russia analysis, director of the CIA’s Open Source Center, and as a staff advisor on Russia matters to Vice President Cheney. His book, "The Russia Trap: How Our Shadow War with Russia Could Spiral into Nuclear Catastrophe" (St. Martin’s Press, 2019), warned how the United States and Russia could stumble into a dangerous military confrontation. Prior to joining QI, George was Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for the National Interest.
Emily Jashinsky
Emily Jashinsky is host of the podcast AfterParty, co-host of the political events podcast Counterpoints, and UnHerd's Washington D.C. Correspondent. She previously served as the Culture Editor at The Federalist and a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner. She serves on the National Journalism Center Board of Governors and is a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.