Asmus opened by explaining why he wrote this book.  He noted that the Russia-Georgia war was a conflict "that people wanted to sweep under the carpet."  But Asmus said he wanted to examine this war to discover why it happened, who was to blame, and what could be done to prevent future aggression.  Though it did not change the world, he felt that this conflict was important because it revealed the weaknesses of European security.  Asmus claimed that the Russian invasion of Georgia was not simply an attack on Georgia, but an act of aggression against the United States, the EU, and NATO.

Hadley, who had worked in the Bush administration during the Russia-Georgia war, wanted the audience to know that Georgia was the victim of that war and deserved the full support of the United States and the EU.  "It was Russian troops that moved into Georgia, not Georgian troops that moved into Russia," he said.  While Hadley praised the book and called it "the first draft of the history of the Russia-Georgia war," he noted that further research needed to be done.  He felt that there was a Russian side that needed to be told.  Asmus defended his work by joking that "Moscow wouldn't talk to me."   

Asmus was eager to hear the thoughts of audience members - many of whom were directly involved with the war in 2008.  A Polish journalist in the audience took issue with the last page of the book, where Asmus asserts that the West should never stop trying to convince Russia that it is in its best interest to be a partner with the United States and Europe, rather than an opponent.  The journalist said that Russia does not want to be a partner with the West - it wants to be an opponent.  Therefore, he asked, "Shouldn't we come up with a new strategy that accepts Russia as an opponent?"

"I'm an American," Asmus said, wrapping up the discussion on a positive note.  "I believe in the power of ideas."