Recent Publications

The West Should Not Wish Away the Russian Threat Yet Again
May 25, 2022 — The time to institutionalize a muscular and ready front line force posture is now. Dr. John R. Deni and Christopher Skaluba, 2022 in Defense One The West’s initial response to Russia’s brutal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has been remarkably unified and effective. The multifaceted effort to arm Ukraine while reinforcing NATO allies in Eastern Europe has helped to turn the war’s tide and prevent, for now at least,... MORE

A Russian serviceman interacts with a bear at the zoo in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol on May 18, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine. AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES / OLGA MALTSEVA

Sourced from Defense One for use in "The West Should Not Wish Away the Russian Threat Yet Again" by John R. Deni https://ssi.army.afpims.mil/SSI-Media/Recent-Publications/ctl/ArticleEdit/mid/63305/Article/3508510/

“Russian Special Operations Forces in Crimea and Donbas”
April 14, 2022 — In this podcast, Tor Bukkvoll revisits his 2016 Parameters, article and examines Russian Special Forces and their potential use in Ukraine today. ... MORE

Russia and Ukraine
April 8, 2022 — This podcast is inspired by Dr. Bettina Renz’s 2016 Parameters article “Why Russia Is Reviving Its Conventional Military Power.” Dr. Renz revisits her original work and shares her insights on the current situation in Ukraine. ... MORE

Soldiers in Cities - Military Operations on Urban Terrain
April 6, 2022 — This podcast is based on a compendium that resulted from a conference on “Military Operations in an Urban Environment” cosponsored by the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce in conjunction with the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, the U.S. Army War College, and the Association of the United States Army. At the time of the conference, the concept of homeland defense was emerging as an increasingly important mission for the U.S. military. ... MORE

SSI Live 86 – Negotiating with Russia Over Ukraine
January 10, 2022 — Negotiations between Russia and the United States, NATO, and the OSCE regarding the situation in/around Ukraine begin this week. How should the West approach those negotiations? SSI Live host Dr. John R. Deni argues the West should strike a hard bargain, even if it risks war in Ukraine.Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, NATO, United States,... MORE

Nonstate Actors and Anti-Access/Area Denial Strategies: The Coming Challenge
February 6, 2020 — Author: Dr. Jean-Loup SamaanThis monograph explores the emerging challenge of nonstate actors’ anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) strategies and their implications for the United States and its allies by looking at two regions, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, with case studies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis... MORE

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The Russian Military in Contemporary Perspective
September 24, 2019 — Editor: Dr Stephen J. BlankView the Executive Summary Wherever one looks, Russia is carrying out aggressive military and informational attacks against the West in Europe, North and South America, the Arctic, and the Middle East. This “war against the West” actually began over a decade ago, but its most jarring and shocking event, the one that... MORE

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What Next for Russia’s Front-Line States?
February 22, 2019 — Mr. Keir Giles, 2019View the Executive SummaryRussia’s annexation of Crimea and intervention in Eastern Ukraine in 2014, alarmed not only Western-leaning states in Central Europe and the Baltic but also Moscow’s traditional allies. These events signaled that Moscow is now willing and capable of using direct military force against perceived... MORE

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Current Russia Military Affairs
July 9, 2018 — Editor: Dr John R DeniWhat are the key strategic objectives of Russian foreign and security policy? How has Russian operational planning been affected by experiences in Georgia, Ukraine, and elsewhere in recent years? What international or domestic factors most influence Russian force modernization? These and other questions were at the top of the... MORE

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The Turning Point for Russian Foreign Policy
May 25, 2017 — Author: Mr Keir GilesView the Executive Summary This Letort Paper analyzes the drivers of assertive military action by Russia, as exemplified by interventions in Ukraine and Syria. It identifies key turning points in Russia’s perception of external threat, and the roots of Russian responses to this threat making use of a capacity for military,... MORE

The Hour of Truth: The Conflict in Ukraine–Implications for Europe’s Energy Security and the Lessons for the U.S. Army
November 25, 2015 — Authors: Mr Ivan Benovic, Dr Ariel CohenView the Executive Summary Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, a number of gas disputes between Russia and Central and Eastern European countries have unveiled the strategic dependence of Europe on Russian piped gas. The recent Ukrainian crisis demonstrated that Europe has a desperate need to improve the... MORE

Russian Ballistic Missile Defense: Rhetoric and Reality
June 29, 2015 — Author: Mr Keir GilesView the Executive SummaryRussia's actions in Ukraine are not the only challenge to relations with the United States. U.S. plans for ballistic missile defense (BMD) capability in Europe have led to aggressive rhetoric from Moscow, which continues at the time of this writing even though attention in the West is focused almost... MORE