Explaining the New Confrontation Between Russia and the West

Power. Policy. People 

July 6th, 2015

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm 

U.S.-Russia relations have reached a new low.  For thirty years, American presidents believed that the end of the Cold War ushered in a new era of cooperation with Moscow, and Russian integration into the West.   That hope has now ended. In parallel, Russian leaders also sought to deepen ties with the United States and build closer relations with Western institutions. Today, however, Russian leaders and commentators describe the United States as an adversary. In turn, American and European leaders have instituted unprecedented coercive measures against Russia in response to Russia’s intervention into Ukraine.  What happened?  How did we go from the end of the Cold War thirty years ago to a new period of confrontation? In his lecture, Professor McFaul will examine several explanations for this tragic set of developments, drawing on both his theoretical knowledge from his academic career as well as his practical experiences as a U.S. government official. 

Michael A. McFaul is the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, professor of political science, the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, all at Stanford University. He also works as a news analyst for NBC News. McFaul served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012) and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014).  This summer, he is in residence at the Stanford Center at Peking University as a Mingde Distinguished SCPKU Visiting Fellow.