Keir Giles’s new book – “Who Will Defend Europe? An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent” – is due to be published by Hurst in late October. With the US Presidential Election taking place on 5th November, its publication could not be more timely. We are delighted that Keir Giles has agreed to talk to us on the critical question posed in his book: “Who will defend Europe?”.For almost three years Ukraine has been the front line of Europe, protecting us all. However, if following the US Presidential Election the US steps away from support for Ukraine and the defence of Europe, some stark choices will then face leaders and societies in Europe. Should Britain and Europe increase their military and financial support for Ukraine? Should Britain (with its hollowed out and still shrinking Armed Forces) and Europe do more to ensure their own defence?
In his talk Keir Giles will explain what Putin’s plans for Europe mean for us – and how the front-line states have been preparing to be the next line of our defence. He will discuss what the US Presidential Election result means for the UK, and what must be done to safeguard our future against potential attack from a newly aggressive and expansionist Russia. Keir Giles will also point out how the West’s unwillingness to confront Russia in the past has nurtured the threat, and that Putin’s ambition puts the whole Continent at risk. He will assess the role and deficiencies of NATO as a guarantor of hard security, and whether the EU or coalitions of the willing can fill the gap. Finally, in the event that the US does step away from the defence of Europe, Keir Giles will also emphasise the need for new leadership in defence of the free world. Copies of Keir Giles's new book - and of Moscow's Rules and of Russia's War on Everybody (see below) - will be on sale at this talk.
Keir Giles has spent his career watching, studying and explaining Russia. Keir’s work has appeared in a wide range of academic and military publications across Europe and in North America, and he is a regular contributor and commentator on Russian affairs for international print and broadcast media.Keir is the author of multiple publications explaining the Russian approach to warfare, including NATO’s Handbook of Russian Information Warfare (NATO Defense College, 2016); and "Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West" (Brookings/Chatham House, 2019), an examination of the persistent factors causing relations with Russia to fall into crisis. His most recent book is "Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You" (Bloomsbury, 2022), describing the human impact of Russia’s campaigns to acquire power and influence around the world. He is a Senior Consulting Fellow at the UK’s Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and also works with the Conflict Studies Research Centre (CSRC), a group of deep subject-matter experts on Eurasian security formerly attached to the British Ministry of Defence. He is a regular contributor to research projects on Russian security issues in the US, UK and Europe.