Usa Vs Russia

The Russian military is preparing to take on the United States in a proxy war, using the weapons of powerful allies that the Kremlin has not seen in decades. The confrontation has revived Cold War levels of suspicion and antagonism.

Putin aims to forestall Russia’s decline as a great power, and Ukraine is the first step in his quest for that goal. But invading Ukraine would be a huge gamble, experts say.

It also would give Moscow a new, broader base of operations that could lead to major new conflicts. That’s why the Obama administration has so far been reluctant to provide more robust support to Ukraine, a key NATO member.

That’s a strategy that’s worked so far, but it has its limits. The crisis has rattled the West, and NATO members have differing views about when Russian behavior crosses a red line that prompts a military response.

Now the Obama administration is trying to strike a balance that can reassure allies without risking an escalation. The White House on Wednesday formally condemned the drone incident, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he had talked to his Russian counterpart.

The Pentagon released surveillance video of a Russian fighter jet allegedly crashing into a US drone over the Black Sea Tuesday. The video, which shows the drone’s propeller being struck, corroborates the American version of events.