"We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West" Buffett Book Talk with Hanna Notte

In 2022, Vladimir Putin commanded Russian forces to invade Ukraine, producing a rupture with the United States and Europe the world has not seen since the Cold War. In addition to unleashing immense losses on the Ukrainian people, the war turned into a long battle of wills in which Russia refocused its entire state machinery to achieve one purpose: Outlast the West, at any cost necessary.

Russia foreign policy analyst Hanna Notte tells a story that has long been obscured: that the Kremlin is waging a war not only on Ukraine, but over global order. Blending critical analysis with reportage from over a dozen countries, Notte's We Shall Outlast Them takes readers on a panoramic journey through this new era of statecraft, with its successes and its failures. From the comedy of Russia’s antics at the United Nations to the melodrama of its outrageous nuclear threats, Notte renders an astonishing portrait of a newly outward-facing Russia. With sensitivity and depth, she shows why the country enjoys enduring appeal among some people around the world while casting a dark shadow onto others.

Putin is the one pulling the strings, but he is not the only player. Propagandists, diplomats, businessmen, and rogue agents have done his bidding: They have outmaneuvered sanctions, forged surprising alliances, and charmed the Global South. From civilian shelters to military bases, presidential palaces to tense borderlands, Notte chronicles the untold stories of those waging Russia’s battles—but also of everyday people swept up in Putin’s agenda. Whether from activists, refugees, or whistleblowers, these stunning accounts lay bare the true toll of Russia’s power games.

Timely, gripping, and rich, We Shall Outlast Them profiles a relentlessly adaptive global Russia and offers a searing warning about the future it seeks to create.

The conversation will be moderated by Maria Lipman, 2026 Roberta Buffett Visiting Professor of International Studies. After the event, books will be available for purchase, and Notte will be available for signing.

Please note that 720 University Place is not an ADA-accessible space. Increasing physical access to buildings and facilities is a goal of the University, but not all buildings and venues have been updated.