But when it comes to Ukraine and Russia, neorealism is weak, contradictory, and ultimately useless. In case you think I’m overstating the case, consider this: Most neorealists are not Russia or Ukraine specialists and almost no Russia and Ukraine specialists are neorealists. In other words, the theory is most appealing if one knows little about both countries and least appealing if one knows a lot. This discrepancy matters because it means that neorealism has to rise or fall, not on the basis of what it has to say about Russia and Ukraine, as that is nothing, but on the basis...