An international relations theory guide to the war in Ukraine

Has anyone got it right? International relations scholars have a lot to say about the war in Ukraine. Whether anyone will pay attention is another question. Stephen M. Walt, a professor of international relations at Harvard University, considers which theories have been proven correct and which have fallen flat. 

 “The bottom line is that the scholarly literature on international relations has a lot to say about the situation we are facing. Unfortunately, no one in a position of power is likely to pay much attention to it, even when knowledgeable academics offer their thoughts in the public sphere. Time is the scarcest commodity in politics—especially in a crisis—and Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, and their many subordinates are not about to start leafing through back issues of International Security or the Journal of Conflict Resolution to find the good stuff.”