In this insightful presentation by Alex Finley, author, CIA officer (ret.), the geopolitical implications of the war in Ukraine are explored, framing it as a broader conflict between Russia and the West. Described as a hybrid or shadow war, the discussion highlights Russia’s use of covert and subversive activities, led by President Putin, to destabilize Western institutions. Going beyond espionage, these efforts target critical infrastructures, exploit democratic vulnerabilities, and stoke social discord, rooted in Putin’s creation of a centralized kleptocratic “mafia state.” Real-world examples are provided to underscore Russia’s employment of subversion, misinformation, cyberattacks, and other asymmetric strategies that complicate the West’s response due to plausible deniability and lack of concrete attribution. The video examines these tactics to illustrate how they challenge Western alliances and sow confusion, mistrust, and political discord across Europe and the United States.
About the Speakers
Alex Finley is a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations where she served in West Africa and Europe. She writes and teaches about terrorism, disinformation/covert influence, and oligarch yachts. Her writing has appeared in The New Republic, Reductress, Funny or Die, POLITICO, The Center for Public Integrity, and other publications. She has spoken to the BBC, MSNBC, CNN, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, France24, and numerous other media outlets. She was also invited once to speak at Harvard, which she now tells everyone within the first ten seconds of meeting them. She is the author of the Victor Caro series, satirical novels about the CIA. Before joining the CIA, Alex was a journalist covering Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and the Department of Energy. She reported on issues related to national security, intelligence, and homeland security. Did she mention she was invited to speak at Harvard?
