The United States spends nearly 10 times more on its national defense than Russia. Its military has one of the world’s largest fleets of aircraft carriers, a robust blue water navy and one of the largest air forces capable of carrying out long-range power projection around the globe. By any measure, America’s force structure would clobber the Russian military in a toe-to-toe conventional fight.

But today’s wars rarely play out that way. Among other things, geography and politics inevitably give one side an advantage in such fights. And despite its swollen budget, Russia has a lone aircraft carrier, a weaker force of nuclear submarines and limited capability to project power in distant waters.

For that reason, many analysts believe Russia is aiming for a proxy war with the United States in an attempt to avoid direct conflict. Its leaders understand that fighting America directly could prove disastrous for them, both financially and militarily.

In addition to the cost in lives, it would destabilize their economy and weaken Russia’s global standing. That is why the United States’ current approach to Russia is so important. The administration’s succinct formulation — pro-Ukraine and pro-freedom, rather than anti-Russia — is vital in rallying nations that have wavered in their opposition to Putin’s brutal aggression.

While the United States’ armed forces may not be superior to those of Russia in a head-to-head conventional fight, the country’s ability to project power far and wide makes it a formidable foe for any adversary. This is the reason we continue to send troops to reassure our Eastern European NATO allies of our commitment to their security, and why we have offered to support Ukraine’s military buildup.