In 2007, Russia launched a hybrid war on the West to preserve its influence in the "lands in between" Russia and the European Union (EU), countries that had left the Soviet Union and gravitated towards an enlarged EU and NATO. Since Russia''s meddling in the US presidential election in 2016 and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this conflict has altered the politics of all countries involved. Just as the lands in between face a civilizational choice between a future in EU Europe or a revived Russian empire, Western countries must choose between dictatorship and democracy. Yet some politicians benefit from maneuvering between both sides in a conflict that seems to demand loyalty, but often rewards flexibility. This book shows that studying the polarized politics that have afflicted the lands in between for decades helps us to better understand the paradoxes of Western politics in an age of hybrid war.
Industry Reviews
"The present book is a contribution to the emerging literature on the concept of hybrid war that focuses on political relations between contemporary Russia and what the author styles as "the West", by which he means the United States of America and the European Union. The author's aim is "... to explain to a general audience how the politics of hybrid war affects the lands in between, [so that] we in the West could better understand our own problems and perhaps
address them more effectively." -- John Morgan, Eurasian Geography and Economics
"[T]he book will appeal to practitioners, academics and students with an interest in Russia's relations with the West. It is a masterfully written, clear and succinct explanation of Russia's hybrid war and its results." -- Zerrin Torun, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, Europe-Asia Studies
"Professor Mitchell Orenstein is one of the leading experts on the influence of Russia on the West, who can combine a catchy, interesting, easy-to-read style with academic depth and an extensive and up-to-date knowledge on Central and Eastern Europe. This book is exceptional in at least two ways. First, unlike many other books written on the topic, The Lands in Between does not get lost in the details but provides an elegant, holistic picture. Second,
it puts a strong focus on the policy solutions. A must-read for all academics and practitioners who are interested in Russia's malevolent influence on the West." -- Péter Krekó, Hungarian Fulbright Visiting
Professor, Indiana University and Faculty Member, Russian and East European Institute
"Orenstein's main argument-that Western countries are following the path of polarization long seen in the 'lands in between'-seems counterintuitive at first. But Orenstein ushers in a mass amount of evidence to support this narrative, laid out in a straightforward and easy-to-read manner. This book is a must-read for longtime students of Eastern Europe and those only now realizing its geopolitical significance." -- Alina Polyakova, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in
Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe, The Brookings Institution
"A slender, astute study of Russia's nefarious modus operandi...clarifies many of the bewildering contradictions that directly affect European and American politics." -- Kirkus Reviews
"The Lands in Between is a seminal study of the post-Cold War political rivalry between the West and Russia. With his unmatched scholarship as a historian, Mitchell A. Orenstein discusses Russia's hybrid war on the West from all possible angles." The Washington Book Review
