Review – Russia’s War on Everybody

Keir Giles

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“You may not be interested in Russia. But Russia is interested in you.” So reads the description on the back cover of Russia’s War on Everybody, a book whose title is meant literally. Giles argues that Moscow has been engaged in conflict – often covert, political, and informational, but also kinetic – around the world for decades, and that no one is beyond its hostile reach. Originally slated to be published in 2022, it had to be updated to reflect Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but in a testament to the book’s foresight, its concept and execution had only grown in relevance. Giles’ work is a darkly humorous analysis and an impassioned call to action, combining rigorous research with sharp-tongued policy analysis to drive home a central message: we underestimate the Russian threat at our peril. His unnervingly direct tone and grim subject matter is lightened by wry wit and skilful writing, making this book as enjoyable as it is informative.

“This must be the essence of our greatness. . . enemies everywhere” (p.20). The central thesis of Russia’s War on Everybody is that the Kremlin defines its enemies sweepingly, such that only a fraction of these “enemies” consider Russia to be their enemy. As Giles documents, “the Kremlin’s daily business” includes what some in the West would consider “acts of war” – poisoning dissidents, shooting down planes, election meddling, cyberattacks, and blatant political assassinations. Giles describes the Kremlin’s zero-sum worldview, in which anything benefitting others is a threat to Russia, and demonstrates that the Kremlin’s ambitions are far broader, and its methods more pervasive, than most realise.

“We would like to be playing chess, but they are already punching us in the face” (p.21). Every decision in this book is strategic. Giles willingly trades away a perception of academic impartiality for a chance at making an impact on policymakers and the public. In fact, the book’s greatest success derives from Giles’ greatest risk: his willingness to dive into the murky and epistemologically-challenging world of strategic culture. Russia’s War on Everybody serves as a kind of sequel to Giles’s earlier book, Moscow Rules (2019), which similarly focused on Russia’s strategic culture, urging Western policymakers to recognise the dangers of Russia’s obsession with power and prestige and willingness to bend the truth to the point of breaking.