James Sherr OBE is a Senior Fellow of the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) in Tallinn and an Associate Fellow (and former Head) of the Chatham House Russia and Eurasia Programme.  Between 1993 and 2012, he was a member of the Social Studies Faculty of Oxford University, a Senior Lecturer/Fellow of the Conflict Studies Research Centre of the UK Ministry of Defence (1995- 2008) and Director of Studies of the Royal United Services Institute (1983-85). Additionally, he is a Senior Associate Fellow of the Institute of Statecraft and a Visiting Fellow of the Razumkov Centre in Kyiv. 

His latest publication (with Igor Gretskiy) is Why Russia Went to War. Other recent ICDS publications include, Nothing New Under the Sun: Continuity and Change in Russia’s Policy Towards Ukraine and (with Kaarel Kullamaa) Russia’s Orthodox Church: Faith, Power and Conquest. Currently, he is writing his third book, Waging War and Friendship: Russia and Ukraine since 1991.