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Description

This Strategic Forum policy brief analyzes the growing risk of tension between the United States and Russia as expanding U.S. political and military engagement in former Soviet states intersects with Moscow’s renewed determination to consolidate influence over its “near abroad.” After September 11, U.S. security involvement in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia intensified in support of counterterrorism objectives and the sovereignty of newly independent states. Simultaneously, a broad Russian political consensus has emerged favoring an exclusive sphere of influence along its periphery and resisting long-term U.S. and NATO presence. These converging trajectories place U.S. and Russian policies on a potential collision course. The brief argues that confrontation or formal spheres of influence would undermine regional stability and bilateral relations. Instead, sustained dialogue, transparency, and mutually understood “rules of the road” are essential to manage differences and prevent miscalculation while preserving the independence of former Soviet states.

Document Type

Policy Brief

Topic(s)

National Security, Strategic Competition, Transatlantic Security

Publication Date

4-2004

Publication

Strategic Forum

Publisher

National Defense University Press

City

Washington, DC

Keywords

U.S.-Russia Relations, Former Soviet States, Russian Sphere of Influence, Euro-Atlantic Security, NATO Expansion, Central Asia Security, Caucasus Security, Post-Soviet Geopolitics, War on Terrorism, Russian Foreign Policy, Security Assistance, Near Abroad Policy, Strategic Stability, Bilateral Relations, NATO-Russia Council

Collision Avoidance: U.S.-Russian Bilateral Relations and Former Soviet States

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