In 2017, author and journalist Peter Conradi released Who Lost Russia? How the World Entered a New Cold War. The work offered expert analysis of Western policy toward Russia following the fall of the USSR. Conradi drew a straight line from the political and economic isolation of Russia to Putin’s rise, and diagnosed his determination to rebuild the Soviet empire. In 2022 with the invasion of Ukraine, Conradi saw his prediction confirmed. In this updated edition of the celebrated book, Conradi turns his attention to Ukraine, examining the war in the context of Russia’s post-Soviet history and Putin’s authoritarian regime. With clarity and precision, Conradi considers what the consequences will be for Europe and the world. Conradi will be in conversation with journalist Vivienne Walt.

About the speakers: 

Peter Conradi is the Europe Editor of the Sunday Times. He is the author of The Red Ripper: Inside the Mind of Russia’s Most Brutal Serial Killer (1992) and Hitler’s Piano Player (2002), and co-author of the best-selling book The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy (2010).

Vivienne Walt is a Paris correspondent for TIME Magazine and Fortune Magazine. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, BusinessWeek, and more. She is governor of the Overseas Press Club of America.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Conradi will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

This event requires advance registration.