Location: Ballroom

"The Mistakes We Made With Russia -- and How to Stop Making Them"

by former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union

Jack Matlock

at the

National Press Club

Washington, D.C.

on

Wednesday, Feb. 11

beginning with a reception

at 6:30 p.m.

The United States must make it a priority to reestablish civil relations with Russia and ease tensions to minimize the risk of spiraling confrontation, according to Ambassador Jack Matlock, who will give a lecture at the National Press Club on February 11. You are invited to attend.

"The Mistakes We Made with Russia -- And How to Stop Making Them" is the title of the lecture being presented by former Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Jack Matlock, to members of the non-partisan, citizen-based organization, The Committee for the Republic.

The talk, which is free and open to all who are interested, will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. to be followed by the ambassador's talk at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, February 11, in the main ballroom of the National Press Club, 529 14th St., N.W, 13th floor, Washington, D.C. 20045.

"U.S. policies over the last two decades have encouraged an authoritarian, xenophobic and fearful attitude in Russia," Ambassador Matlock contends. "Economic sanctions damage not only their economy but ours as well, and make Russia's hatred of us grow dangerously.

"The West's top priority should be to reestablish civil relations with Russia - and ease tensions to minimize the risk of spiraling confrontation," he said in describing his upcoming talk.

Ambassador Jack Matlock witnessed and was involved in the tumultuous final years of the Soviet Union as the U.S. Ambassador in Moscow. He is former ambassador to Czechoslovakia, an author, and a career diplomat for 35 years who held the Kennan Chair at the Institute for Advanced Study, and has taught at Columbia and Princeton universities, as well as Hamilton College.

He is the author of Superpower Illusions: How Myths and False Ideologies Led America Astray - And How to Return to Reality (Yale University Press, 2010); Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended (Random House, 2005); and

Autopsy on an Empire: The American Ambassador's Account of the Collapse of the Soviet Union (Random House, 1995).

Ambassador Matlock, who is fluent in Russian, has had decades of operational experience in dealing with Russians and the other nationalities in the U.S.S.R., beginning as early as the Cuban missile crisis when he translated diplomatic messages between the leaders. As director of Soviet Affairs at the State Department, he participated in almost every U.S.-Soviet summit meeting over a 20 year period. He served in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for a number of years before being named as the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. He previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1981-83

Ambassador Matlock's talk is part of the monthly speakers series titled "The Empire Salon," sponsored by The Committee for The Republic. The non-profit organization, founded in 2003, sponsors speakers every month on challenges to the American republic -- including the military-industrial complex, too-big-to-fail banks, campaign finance, and U.S. competitiveness. Their offices are located at 1320 18th St., NW, Washington, D.C

If you wish to attend the talk on Wednesday, February 11, please R.S.V.P. at Eventbrite, https://empiresalonjackmatlock.eventbrite.com

Media who desire to cover the event may email Fran Griffin of Griffin Communications at fran@vacoxmail.com. ###

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