The Folly of Realism: Ukraine, Russia, and US Foreign Policy

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Lt. Col. (ret.) Alexander Vindman and John Gans examine America's evolving Eastern Europe strategy and what Ukraine reveals about the future of US foreign policy.

Alexander Vindman and John Gans on the Council's stage.

Ana Miyares Photography

Speakers

Alexander Vindman
John Gans

Event Date

August 21, 2025

About This Event

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has challenged long-held assumptions about the post-Cold War international order. How have the United States’ and its allies' foreign policy approach to Ukraine and Russia evolved since the Soviet Union's collapse, and what are the consequences of these strategies today? What does this teach us about US foreign policy more broadly, and how should these lessons inform America's response to the war in Ukraine? Join Alexander Vindman and John Gans as they discuss America's shifting strategy in Eastern Europe, its implications for the ongoing conflict, and what this reveals about the future of US foreign policy.

Copies of Alexander Vindman’s book, The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine, will be available for sale and signing at the program.

About the Speakers

Alexander Vindman

Author & Former Director for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Russia, National Security Council

Alexander Vindman is a retired US Army lieutenant colonel and former director for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Russia at the National Security Council. Previously, he was the political-military affairs officer for Russia for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served as an attaché at the US Embassy in Moscow. He is also the author of the bestselling memoir, "Here, Right Matters."

John Gans

Author & Former US Defense Department Official

John Gans writes and teaches about US foreign policy and serves as a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House. Over the course of his career in strategic communications, he has held roles at the Pentagon, US Treasury Department, and US Navy. He is the author of "White House Warriors: How the National Security Council Transformed the American Way of War."