In a lopsided match, USA dominated Russia in the first half with Carli Lloyd opening the scoring. She was assisted by Heather O’Reilly, who doubled the margin to 2-0. Carli Lloyd scored her third goal from outside the box, sending a strike past the Russian keeper. Carli Lloyd added a fourth in the second half, while Christen Press added a brace. Sydney Leroux added a fifth to increase the total to six goals for the Americans.

Despite these obvious advantages, conventional military comparisons are not meaningful in a nuclear war. Both countries have reduced their nuclear arsenals significantly over the past two decades, but still possess thousands of warheads. In such a scenario, the use of nuclear weapons would totally negate their other advantages. Other military strategists argue that the Russian population is geographically dispersed and therefore dispersed. If a nuclear war breaks out, the world would change forever.

While US and Russian military power is comparable, the two countries have taken divergent paths to achieving their goals. US military expenditure is far greater, with more bases, fighter jets, and bombers. Russia has more tanks, artillery, and land vehicles. The US also has more aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines than Russia. The US military budget is far higher than Russia’s, at 612 billion dollars to 77 billion.

The United States’ objective in this scenario contrasts with the Russian goal of destabilizing Ukraine. Unlike other countries, the U.S. wants to promote freedom in Ukraine. While Russia is a major ally of the United States, sanctions on Russia have made little difference. The United States wants to strengthen its partnerships with European nations and build support from other countries in the world. It has the leverage and the power to make a difference in this international crisis.