US Vs Russia
The United States and Russia are the world’s two biggest military powers. Their arsenals of nuclear weapons make them formidable adversaries — and both have a strong incentive to avoid a conflict that could plunge the world into war.
Despite their differences, both countries possess forces that are remarkably similar, and both have vast economic and political ties to one another. That has pushed them closer together in recent years, and has raised fears of a new, generational US-Russian test of strength that might plunge the world into a catastrophic war.
What would a US-Russian conflict look like?
It’s no secret that the United States’ globe-spanning army and air force are superior to those of Moscow. Its aircraft can obliterate most Russian air defenses. It has more powerful surface-to-air missiles than any other nation, and its submarines have the capability to strike targets in distant waters.
That’s why the US and its allies are working hard to train, equip and help Ukraine’s armed forces. The Ukrainian government is in a battle to defend its homeland from an increasingly aggressive Russia.
Putin has shown that he is not just interested in taking over Ukraine’s oil and gas fields – he wants to use the country as a staging ground for military aggression. The Russians are already lined up along the Ukraine border with heavy tanks and artillery.
Nevertheless, the Obama administration has pledged only “nonlethal aid” to train and provide gear such as Humvees, small drones and radar to help reassure NATO allies rattled by Russia’s actions. And even then, it appears that Washington’s motivation is to avoid a confrontation with Russia.