John J. Sullivan, a former State Department official and U.S. ambassador, says yes: “Our politicians aren’t leading — Republicans or Democrats.” He gives a firsthand account of a fateful Biden-Putin encounter, talks about his new book Midnight in Moscow, and predicts what a second Trump term means for Russia, Ukraine, China — and the U.S.

SOURCES:John Sullivan • , former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia.

RESOURCES:Midnight in Moscow: A Memoir from the Front Lines of Russia's War Against the West, • by John Sullivan (2024). • " The ‘Deathonomics’ Powering Russia’s War Machine • ," by Georgi Kantchev and Matthew Luxmoore ( The Wall Street Journal, • 2024). War, • by Bob Woodward (2024). • " On the Record: The U.S. Administration’s Actions on Russia • ," by Alina Polyakova and Filippos Letsas ( Brookings, • 2019). • " Why Economic Sanctions Still Do Not Work • ," by Robert A. Pape ( International Security, • 1998).

EXTRAS: • " The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel • ," by Freakonomics Radio • (2023).