As Georgia recovers from Russia’s recent military assault and tries to regain its footing in a region in which the balance of power has changed, questions for the United States and its allies linger. How can the West prevent a similar conflict from endangering the territorial integrity of other allies in the region? What are Russia’s intentions vis-à-vis the former Soviet states? How should the United States and its allies reengage with Russia where diplomatic responses have failed? Is Russia committed to upholding both international law and regional peace?

Discussing lessons learned from the Russo-Georgian war will be Stephen Blank, a research professor of national security affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and military historian and AEI resident scholar Frederick W. Kagan. AEI resident fellow Thomas Donnelly will moderate.