War in Ukraine: conflict, strategy, and the return of a fractured world (Book Review)

Abstract

The book edited by Hal Brands brings together a series of analyses about the impacts of the Ukraine War on the international scene, written by a diverse range of authors, from academics to former members of government agencies. Whether from their observations as social scientists or from their direct experiences in the governments involved in the events that led to the Russian invasion in February 2022, they all agree that it was a turning point in international politics. Even though it is a book about the early years of an ongoing conflict, the authors make an effort not only to understand its causes, but also the dynamics of the fighting and the prospects for international relations, as possible lessons for courses of action in a historical moment that promises tension and anxiety with the return of the power struggle between major powers, especially the United States, Russia, and China.