This week, Kelly talks with Professor Michael Kimmage about Russia's war in Ukraine and current efforts towards a ceasefire.

Michael Kimmage is a Professor of History at Catholic University, specializing in U.S.-Russia relations and cold war history, and is director of the Kennan Institute in Washington D.C. He worked on U.S.-Russia relations from 2014 to 2016 on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning staff. He is the author of five books, the latest being Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. Michael has also been writing profically on the Russia Ukraine war since 2022.

Read Michael's latest article in Foreign Policy Magazine here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/russia-putin-drones-airspace-europe-nato-war/

Michael's most recent book: https://www.amazon.com/Collisions-Origins-Ukraine-Global-Instability/dp/B0CYQWJQ28/

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.

Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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