Foreign Policy article critiques realist views on Ukraine
Analysts pushing for Ukraine to surrender are trapped by outdated Soviet-era thinking, the article argues.
In a snow-covered landscape, a woman bundled in a coat and scarf walks past a large hammer-and-sickle sculpture that towers several feet above her head (Photo via Foreign Policy)
A recent article published in Foreign Policy on Nov. 3, 2026, challenges the perspectives of foreign policy analysts who advocate for Ukraine to surrender in its ongoing conflict. Written by James Palmer, the piece examines the influence of realist schools of thought within Washington.
Palmer argues that those calling for concessions from Ukraine are hindered by an attachment to historical legacies. The author contends that these so-called realists are unable to move past the geopolitical framework of the Soviet Union, which he describes as a dead end.
The article suggests that the push for Ukrainian surrender is rooted in this outdated nostalgia rather than an objective assessment of current geopolitical realities. By framing these arguments as tethered to the past, the piece critiques the realist approach to the war as being disconnected from the present situation.