Signed Copies of The Folly of Realism

Six months on, the lessons of my book feel more urgent than ever

Dear Readers,

The Trump–Putin “summit” raises many questions about the Ukraine war, European security, and the world order. Unfortunately, many of the outcomes were all too predictable given the fraught relationship between the United States and Russia. In this meeting, we witnessed familiar mistakes repeated and amplified. The Trump–Zelenskyy encounter will almost certainly follow the same pattern—another instance of errors revisited, with no prospect that Trump will pivot toward robust support for Ukraine to fend off Russia.

In light of these developments, the six-month anniversary of my book’s release on U.S.–Russia–Ukraine relations, and the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s declaration of independence on August 24, I am offering signed copies of my book, The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine. I wrote it to provide a comprehensive history of how the United States misjudged Russia—and how we might avoid repeating those same mistakes. Since its release, I have come to see The Folly of Realism as almost a warning manual, highlighting the perils of the transactional foreign policy approach embraced by the second Trump administration.

Drawing on my experiences at U.S. embassies in Kyiv and Moscow, at the Pentagon, and on the National Security Council—as well as interviews with presidents and senior policymakers—this book offers both firsthand insights and practical solutions for the future

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If you haven’t yet read it—or would like a signed copy—now is the time to subscribe to my Substack and get your signed copy. Quantities are limited, and I’ll be offering them only through this anniversary week.