Book Review: A Stark warning – Giles‘โข Russia’s War onโค Everybody
This review โฃdissects Keir Giles’ Russia’s War on Everybody, highlighting its core arguments and the author’s passionate,โค and oftenโค frustrated, perspective โon Western miscalculations regarding Russia. The book is presented as a vital, if unsettling, readโ for policymakers โand anyone seeking to understand โฃthe currentโ conflict inโค Ukraine and Russia’s broader strategic goals.
Giles’ โฃanalysis is fueled by a long-held frustration with the โWest’s consistent underestimation of russia’s willingness to employ force and disregard forโค international norms. He powerfully amplifies the โvoices of โขCentral and Eastern European nations, who have longโฃ warned of the dangers posedโฃ by Moscow,โฃ butโ where often โขdismissed by Western allies prioritizing a “partnership” approach. This past contextโ underscores the book’s central argument: the โWest has repeatedly โฃfailed to โขlearn fromโค past mistakes, engaging in a cycle of naive attempts to โ”reset” relations with a Russia consistently demonstrating aggressive intent.
A key insight offered,particularly relevantโ after โฃthe full-scale invasion of Ukraine,is the significance โof the Rosgvardiya (Russian National Guard). Giles clarifies that this force isn’t simply a domestic security apparatusโ with a โขWestern equivalent; its primary function is the subjugation ofโฃ populations,โค both within Russia and in targeted territories like Ukraine. โThis highlights aโ crucial point Giles makes repeatedly: Western observersโค often misinterpret โRussian institutions by applyingโ familiar frameworks,โ obscuring basic differencesโ in purposeโ and function.
Giles is scathing โคin โhis critique ofโ Western diplomacy, particularly the persistent efforts ofโฃ french and Germanโ leadersโค to pursue “resets” withโ Russia, often overlooking or excusing its transgressions. Heโ identifies several recurring fallaciesโ in Western thinking, including equating interaction with better communication, falsely assigning equal blame in conflicts, and prioritizingโ ceasefire agreements over โคjustice โand deterrence. Heโข arguesโ the West clings to the belief that Russia has fundamentally changed, conveniently accepting โคsuperficial agreements as justification for inaction. The early behavior of the second โTrump administration serves โขasโ a prime exampleโ of this โperilous naivetรฉ.
The โขreview concludesโ by highlighting the book’s compellingโค nature, noting Giles’ abilityโ to engage readers both intellectually and emotionally. He doesn’t โsimply present a cold analysis; he evokes a deep compassion for the victims of Russianโค aggression.โข While the book inevitably leads โto disillusionment, โฃeven experienced Russia analysts will find new insights โor, at theโ very least,โ a cathartic validation of โtheir own concerns. Ultimately, โthe review strongly recommends Russia’s War on Everybody as essential reading for those who needโ to understand โtheโฃ complexities of Russia’s actionsโ and the urgentโข need for โขa more realistic and resolute Western โresponse.
