The full transcript of this influential talk, delivered at Yale University in 2018, details how the West's treatment of post-Soviet Russia shifted Vladimir Putin's initial pro-Western stance into one of deep-seated mistrust.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Pozner contends the U.S. could have treated Russia as a partner—similar to the Marshall Plan after WWII. Instead, it adopted a policy of containment and superiority, often referred to as the Wolfowitz Doctrine , which viewed Russia as a "second-rate country" rather than a superpower.

A public statement from NATO acknowledging that Ukraine would not be admitted for a long period (e.g., 100 years) to ease Russian security concerns.

In his lecture, veteran journalist Vladimir Pozner argues that current tensions between Russia and the West are not inevitable, but the result of specific U.S. foreign policy decisions made after the Cold War.

Pozner identifies several events that fueled Russian resentment and distrust:

Strengthening youth and cultural exchange programs to bypass media bias and build mutual understanding.