A MISFIT IN MOSCOW: how British diplomacy in Russia failed, 2014-2019

British government pronouncements since Russia’s 24 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine have been resolute yet self-congratulatory. The UK is leading the way among western allies in providing Ukraine with the support it needs. Putin’s regime is globally isolated as never before. The Russian economy is crumbling under unprecedented sanctions. Let’s stick with the plan. Our strategy is working!

But is that really true? How engaged was the Conservative government in efforts to prevent conflict in Ukraine after tensions with Russia ramped up ten years ago? Have any of the seven Foreign Secretaries since 2014 altered Putin’s calculus? Have western sanctions really worked? And does ‘the best diplomatic service in the world’ have the skills to understand and outsmart Russia?