Part of Transatlantic Security

Russia

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 ushered in a new era. For the United States and Europe, there is no going back to the way things were before Moscow invaded its neighbor. Leaders must now be prepared for a period of prolonged confrontation with Russia, with Putin’s war in Ukraine at its center. Looking forward, there will be a strong temptation to downgrade Russia as a threat, given deficiencies exposed by the war and the war’s exacerbation of preexisting trends pushing Russia towards decline. Yet doing so would be a mistake. Moscow will retain both the intent and the capacity to challenge the West, even though the nature of this threat is evolving. Russia may be down, but it’s most certainly not out. Russia is also pursuing greater cooperation among Washington’s adversaries–most notably with China, Iran, and North Korea–which is shifting global dynamics in ways that are likely to embolden hostile and illiberal actors. These dynamics are creating new challenges that the United States and its European allies must confront.

To this end, The Transatlantic Security Program analyzes Russian domestic and foreign policy to equip policymakers with insights they need to understand and respond to the evolving Russian threat. Through our flagship Transatlantic Forum on Russia, we strive to foster coherence between the United States and Europe on Russia-related issues and develop policies designed to jointly deter and counter Russia’s destabilizing behavior.

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