In a time of rising tensions between the US and Russia, many Americans have questions about how the countries stack up when it comes to military power. The US leads the world in military spending with a budget of more than $612 billion. But does that give the country a huge advantage over Russia?

According to the best estimates, Russia ranks 2nd in overall military strength. In terms of land forces, the US has more troops, vehicles and artillery than Russia, but in the air, Russia has a significant edge with a larger number of fighter jets and bombers. And at sea, the US has more aircraft carriers, destroyers and submarines than Russia.

With a nuclear arsenal, Russia can threaten the entire planet with just one low-yield strike. The United States has the potential to respond to a Russian attack with an even more powerful force, but a full-scale war would require a massive investment in additional troops and weapons systems.

The US and Russia should be able to deter each other, but recent actions in Ukraine and Russia’s increasingly hostile behavior suggest that the two powers are not on the path toward peaceful coexistence. The current level of conflict in Ukraine should be a wake-up call for policymakers in Washington.

Majorities of Americans have favorable views of Ukraine and NATO, while having very unfavorable opinions of Russia and no confidence in Vladimir Putin. Those with higher levels of education and those who say the United States should consider other nations’ interests give more support to NATO.