About Usa Vs Russia

The United States and Russia are the world’s two largest countries, with Russia more than 1.7 times bigger than the United States. Together they cover almost 5.3 percent of the earth’s surface.

But despite the size and scale of the countries’ military assets, their leaders have very different visions of how to use those weapons. The United States sees a role for itself as the global leader and defender of democracy, human rights and open markets. Russia’s view is more nuanced, arguing that it needs to act as a responsible member of the international community while protecting its own interests.

The current tensions stem largely from Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine and his military support for pro-Moscow separatists in Syria. These actions have raised concerns that he may try to break NATO by force if intimidation fails. NATO leaders are trying to figure out how to respond, with members holding very different views of when Russian behavior crosses a red line that requires a military response.

Even if the president were to decide to go to war with Russia, however, it would be a long and expensive process to build up the forces needed. The military website Global Firepower ranks the United States as the most powerful conventional force in the world, while Russia is a close second (although Galeotti disagrees with this ranking). The U.S. has more bases, fighter jets and bombers than Russia and far more ships, submarines and aircraft carriers.