As Russian President Vladimir Putin maneuvers to remain in power after 2024, the perennial questions about his goals and effective Western responses continue to preoccupy researchers observing Russia. Using George Kennan's Long Telegram, which guided US policy throughout the Cold War, as a metaphoric framework, Eltsov (National Defense Univ.) addresses these questions in a narrative organized around themes of autocracy, expansionism, and ethnically defined identity in Russia. He reviews Soviet and Russian transgressions against other countries, ranging from the horrific—the Soviet murder of over 20,000 Poles in 1940—to the trivial and bizarre—Russian public figures' belief that American women's sexual harassment allegations reflect frustration in a country where men are either gay or impotent. Eltsov persuasively argues that American efforts to promote democracy in Russia are not only wrongheaded, but counterproductive. . . Eltsov's narrative is highly engaging and serves as a very good, if selective, introduction to Putin's Russia. This well-documented book also includes a long, mainly Russian-language bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers through upper-division undergraduates.

Choice Reviews

“This important study of Russian cultural identity explains its exceptionalism and expansionism which make it profoundly different from the West in order to advocate a patient and realistic policy towards Moscow.”

Konrad H. Jarausch, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“While eschewing the sort of essentialism evident in so much writing about Russia, even Kennan’s famous 1946 Long Telegram, Peter Eltsov nonetheless catalogues essential Russian themes. Through the extremes of near catastrophe and divine victory, to orthodox autocracy and the holy fool, he weaves a historical and contemporary analysis that is of value for any observer of Russia.”

Matthew Rojansky, The Wilson Center

Peter Eltsov’s The Long Telegram 2.0 is a highly original book. His deep immersion in Russian and American culture allows him to look at the Putin regime anew from both a Russian and Western point of view, concluding that unless U.S. policy changes dramatically the autocratic nature of the Russian regime will only get worse. Eltsov also argues that Russia could even eventually break up.Both imaginative engagement and a much more constructive new policy of containment are needed to deal with Russia. This is a highly readable and thought-provoking book, and should be required reading for decision-makers in West and East."

Klaus Larres, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill