Hubris: The American Origins of Russia’s War Against Ukraine

Haslam (emeritus, Univ. of Cambridge; The Spectre of War: International Communism and the Origins of World War II), a historian of international relations, is considered a leading expert on relations between the U.S. and Russia. His latest book details more than 30 years of Russian authorities insisting that NATO not expand eastward or invite Ukraine in as a partner, unless Russia was also included as an equal. Full of context, name-heavy, and including detailed conversations among world leaders, this insightful book walks through five U.S. presidential administrations’ relationships with Russia, starting with Clinton. Haslam particularly focuses on the times when U.S. officials secretly planned for Ukraine to be a part of NATO expansion and dismissed Russia’s attempt to join the Partnership for Peace, which is a cooperative program between NATO and partner countries in the Euro-Atlantic region.