Ambassador Steven Pifer

Guest Author

Ambassador Steven Pifer (LinkedIn –X) is affiliated with Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation and the Brookings Institution. A retired Foreign Service officer, his assignments included ambassador to Ukraine and special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia on the National Security Council. He also served at the U.S. embassies in Warsaw, Moscow, and London.

Articles by this author:

French President Jacques Chirac at the left of the image is applauding as he smiles at Russian President Vladimir Putin in the center of the image and US President George W. Bush, who is laughing as Putin seems to smile and gape at the display.

A NATO Promise Not to Enlarge? No, Not Even According to Putin 1.0

Jan. 7, 2026 Ambassador Steven Pifer