Usa Vs Russia

Until recently, US-Russian ties were a mixture of cooperation and competition. But in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine, the Obama administration has focused on a hardline approach, imposing rafts of sanctions and expelling diplomats. The recent clash between US and Russian fighter jets in international airspace — in which a drone was downed by the Russian aircraft — underscores the risks of this policy. It also highlights the need for a clear, positive formulation of U.S. objectives that focuses on Ukraine and freedom, not Russia’s geostrategic position or power.

In the past, Washington was willing to cooperate with Russia on issues such as maritime law and trade. But the United States did not embrace Putin’s view that Chechen rebels and Ukrainian activists had genuine agency in world affairs; that only great powers counted; and that he was not just the last of the Tsars, but one of the most important and powerful in history.

That era is over. As a matter of policy, the United States no longer views cooperation with Russia as a possibility and is instead focused on knocking Russia out of the ranks of the great powers. The policy of pursuing a hardline against Russia is not just necessary for Ukrainian security, it is crucial for the United States to preserve its own standing in the world. And, if we don’t succeed in bringing Russia to its senses, the next crisis could be much more severe and potentially catastrophic.