Description:

What’s going on with Russia? Managing U.S.-Russian relations is one of the most important priorities for any American administration. Russia is an active player in key global issues, and with its enormous nuclear arsenal, is the only foreign state that represents a true existential threat to the United States. And yet, the relationship between Washington and Moscow is in the worst condition in decades.

Americans decry recent Russian interference in the U.S. political system. Moscow's ongoing violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, destabilizing support for Bashar al-Assad’s repressive actions in Syria, and interference in European political processes have been profound challenges for U.S. foreign policy in recent years. On the other hand, many Russians see their country’s position vis-à-vis NATO as fundamentally defensive. The United States, they argue, has encircled Russia with its military, fostered global instability, and undertaken its own form of election meddling around the world and in Moscow itself. While many on both sides express a desire for change, attempts to reset the relationship have not yielded results.

Co-Sponsored by Northwestern Buffett, The Brookings Institution and the Charles Koch Institute have assembled four scholars and practitioners of U.S. foreign policy to debate key questions on U.S.-Russia relations: How bad is the relationship? How did we get here? And can it be improved? Join us together for an evening of spirited debate and conversation.

5:00 p.m. -- Registration opens and reception

5:30 p.m. -- Welcoming remarks and debate

James Goldgeier, Robert Bosch Senior Visiting Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Rajan Menon, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Chair in Political Science, The City College of New York
Molly Montgomery, Nonresident Fellow, Center on the United States and Europe, The Brookings Institution
William Ruger, Vice President of Research and Policy, The Charles Koch Institute 
Moderator: Ed Luce, Washington Columnist and Commentator, Financial Times

7:00 p.m. -- Closing reception

7:30 p.m. -- Event concludes