The brief war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 seemed to many
like an unexpected shot out of the blue. Former Assistant Deputy Secretary of State Ronald
Asmus contends that it was a conflict that was prepared and planned for some time by
Moscow, part of a broader strategy to send a message to the United States.
RONALD ASMUS is Executive Director of the Brussels-based
Transatlantic Center and responsible for Strategic Planning at the German Marshall
Fund of the United States. He is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
European Affairs during President Clinton's second term. He has published numerous essays
over the years on US-European relations, including in Foreign Affairs, Survival, the
American Interest and Policy Review. He is a contributor to the Washington Post,
Wall Street Journal, and The New Republic, as well as a commentator in both the American
and European news media. He lives in Brussels, Belgium.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Decision
From Cold to Hot War in the Caucasus
The Kosovo Precedent
Diplomatic Shootout in Bucharest
Diplomacy Fails
The Battle
Ceasefire
A New Policy for the West
272 pages, Hardcover