The Russia and Eurasia Program at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University is pleased to award its sixth annual U.S.-Russia relations book prize to John J. Sullivan, former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, for his new book Midnight in Moscow: A Memoir from the Front Lines of Russia’s War Against the West (2024). The award recognizes an outstanding book on historical or contemporary foreign policy discourse on the past or present of U.S.-Russia relations. Please join us for a book talk by Sullivan about his experiences at U.S. Embassy Moscow, the complex relationship between the United States and Russia, and the broader implications for global security.

A memoir of service by the American ambassador who was on the diplomatic front lines when Putin invaded Ukraine, Midnight in Moscow is the first behind-the-scenes account of how U.S.-Russia relations hit their nadir—and a playbook for our unfolding confrontation.

For weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, John J. Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador in Moscow, was warning that it would happen. When troops finally crossed the border, he was woken in the middle of the night with a prearranged code. The signal was even more bracing than the February cold: it meant that Sullivan needed to collect his bodyguards and get to the embassy as soon as possible. The war had begun, and the world would never be the same.

In Midnight in Moscow, Sullivan leads readers into the offices of the U.S. embassy and the halls of the Kremlin during this climactic period—among the most dangerous since World War II. He shows how the Putin regime repeatedly lied about its intentions to invade Ukraine in the weeks leading up to the attack, while also devoting huge numbers of personnel and vast resources to undermining the U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia. And he explains how, when Putin ultimately gave the order to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he proved that Russia was not just at war with its neighbor: it was also at war, in a very real sense, with the United States, and with everything that it represents. But while Putin decided how this conflict started, its ending will be shaped by us.

With his unique perspective on a pivotal moment in world history, Sullivan shows how our relationship with Russia has deteriorated, where it’s headed, and how far we should be prepared to go in standing up to the menace in Moscow.

The event will be opened by Professor Daniel Drezner and moderated by Professor Chris Miller, and a book signing will follow the conversation. Refreshments will be provided. The event is open to the public. Please register via the Google Form here to attend the event in person or virtually. We will provide you with the Zoom details in your confirmation email message.

Visitors to the Medford/Somerville campus are welcome to park in the Dowling Garage or Cousens Parking Lot. Visitors may pay for their parking sessions via the web portal or payment kiosks. Please contact us with any questions you might have about the event.

John J. Sullivan, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington, D.C. and New York offices and co-lead of the firm’s National Security practice. He is also a Distinguished Scholar at the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University and a Distinguished Fellow at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University. He serves as a contributor to CBS News and is frequently quoted in international media as a leading authority on foreign affairs. Ambassador Sullivan is a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Institute of Peace. He also has been appointed by Congress to serve as a member of the bipartisan congressional Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State. Ambassador Sullivan’s career spans four decades in public service in prominent diplomatic and legal positions under five U.S. presidents and in private law practice at Mayer Brown. Ambassador Sullivan is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Council on Foreign Relations and serves as a Distinguished Senior Fellow in the National Security Law Program at Columbia Law School. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award; the Department of State’s Distinguished Honor Award; the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Ambassador of the Year Award; the Defense Intelligence Director’s Award; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award; the Secretary of Defense’s Medal for Exceptional Public Service; and the Columbia University School of Law, DC Alumni Association, Distinguished Alumnus Award.