December 02, 2021

Russian Militarization in Arctic Could Lead to Offensive Action, Says Former Defense Official

During the June 2021 summit with the Russian president, President Biden talked to Putin about the Arctic remaining “a region of cooperation rather than conflict,” but there has been increased Russian militarization in the region. Jim Townsend, adjunct senior fellow in the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy, said Russia’s actions could be seen as defensive but could be a “jumping off place” for offensive actions in the future.

    Watch the full video from Government Matters.

    • Podcast
      • April 19, 2024
      The State of the War in Ukraine with Michael Kofman

      As the war in Ukraine continues into its third year, the mood has become increasingly dark. While territorial changes continue to be minor, Russia’s slow but steady advances a...

      By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Michael Kofman

    • Commentary
      • Sharper
      • April 17, 2024
      Sharper: NATO 75

      From July 9–11, NATO leaders from across the Atlantic will gather in Washington, DC for the 2024 NATO Summit, which marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance. This meeting wi...

      By Anna Pederson, Anna Avanesyan & Charles Horn

    • Podcast
      • April 12, 2024
      Interpreting the Recent Turkish Elections with Asli Aydintaşbaş and Steven Cook

      Just under a year ago, Turkish President Erdogan won another five years in power in the Turkish presidential election. Last week, however, local election results in Turkey del...

      By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş & Steven A. Cook

    • Podcast
      • April 5, 2024
      Macron’s Change in Tune and the War in Ukraine

      Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there has been a notable evolution in France’s approach toward Moscow. In the initial months following the invasion, Fr...

      By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Tara Varma & Bruno Tertrais

    View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia