Book Webinar: Tbilisi and the Bear

Like no other nation, Russia's aggressive moves beyond its borders have prompted reactions by neighboring countries and NATO, along with questions about their future intentions. The focus of these attacks has been on Ukraine, of course, but in his new book, Tblisi and the Bear, regional expert, and longtime School of Public Policy professor, Dr. Jim Coyle, places an initial focus on Russia's engagement with Georgia, which seems to be changing its relationship with Moscow.

As Coyle notes, "For over two decades, successive Georgian leaders sought closer integration with the European Union and NATO, positioning the country as a beacon of democratic aspiration in the South Caucasus. Yet in recent years, Georgia has experienced a significant political shift, stepping back from its EU ambitions in favor of cultivating deeper economic and political ties with Russia."

In this webinar conversation with SPP dean, Pete Peterson, Coyle will highlight both the history and recent events in this Russia-Georgia relationship, and discuss what all this might mean or Eastern Europe. Join us for this timely online conversation.

Speaker: James Coyle 

James Coyle has held a number of positions in the federal government, including director of Middle East studies at the US Army War College; first secretary for political-military affairs at the US Embassy in Ankara; senior political analyst for Palestinian affairs; and special assistant to the FBI/New York Joint Terrorism Task Force. He is co-author of Culture and Conflict in the Middle East published in December 2003 by Prentice-Hall, and the author of Russia’s Interventions in Ethnic Conflicts: the case of Armenia and Azerbaijan (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) and Russia’s Border Wars and Frozen Conflicts (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017). Coyle speaks and/or reads Turkish, Persian, French, and German in various degrees of proficiency. Coyle's areas of teaching expertise include: national security strategy, Middle East politics, issues in intelligence, comparative politics, international relations, American politics, European and Eurasian politics. Coyle received his bachelor of science in foreign service from Georgetown University, his master's degree in public administration from Temple University, and a PhD in political science from George Washington University. His dissertation topic was nationalism in Iranian Kurdistan. Coyle is an independent consultant on national security affairs with a heavy public-speaking schedule.