Recent Publications

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

The New Russian Engagement with Latin America: Strategic Position, Commerce, and Dreams of the Past
June 17, 2015 — Author: Dr R Evan Ellis View the Executive SummaryIn many ways, Russia’s expanded engagement in Latin America as a response to escalating tension over the Ukraine was a repetition of its answer to U.S. involvement in the 2008 conflict in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. In the latter conflict, the U.S. deployed naval forces to the Black Sea... MORE

A Russian View on Landpower
April 9, 2015 — Authors: Mr Keir Giles, Maj Gen Aleksandr V RogovoyView the Executive SummaryRussia’s seizure of Crimea, and ongoing operations in eastern Ukraine, have refocused attention on the Russian military as a potential cause for concern in Europe. This Letort Paper, by an influential Russian general and military academic, lays out specifically Russian... MORE

Project 1704: A U.S. Army War College Analysis of Russian Strategy in Eastern Europe, an Appropriate U.S. Response, and the Implications for U.S. Landpower
March 26, 2015 — Authors: COL Douglas Mastriano, LTC Derek O'Malley View the Executive SummaryThe strategic calculus changed in Europe with the 2014 Russian seizure of Crimea and its ongoing war against Ukraine. Compounding the dilemma of an aggressive Russia, is the application of ambiguity to create a clock of uncertainty that prevents a decisive response to... MORE

Breaking the Nordic Defense Deadlock
February 20, 2015 — Authors: Dr Stefan Forss, COL Pekka Holopainen View the Executive SummaryRussian actions in Ukraine in 2014 have prompted an urgent reassessment of the defense posture of many European nations. The Nordic states in particular are grappling with a 2-decade legacy of defense drawdowns and repositioning for expeditionary warfare. The challenge for... MORE

Strategic Insights: Can the EU Declare Energy Independence From Russia?
November 4, 2014 — 2LT Scott CowmanSecond Lieutenant Scott Cowman is a reservist with the U.S. Army. From January to May 2014, during his last semester at Dickinson College, he was an intern with the Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College. The worsening situation in Ukraine has yet again reminded the European Union (EU) and the United States that Europe... MORE

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Strategic Insights: The Ukraine Crises and the Emerging Sino-Russian Political Alliance
September 9, 2014 — Dr. Bin Yu, Ph.D. The first half of 2014 witnessed a notable enhancement of Russian-Chinese relations. Signs of this visible geostrategic shift include high-profile summit meetings, breakthroughs in energy/gas deals, renewed interest in military-technology cooperation,1 more integrated military exercises, and closer diplomatic coordination on... MORE

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Democratization and Instability in Ukraine, Georgia, and Belarus
June 26, 2014 — Author: Dr Robert Nalbandov View the Executive SummaryThis monograph analyzes the interconnections between the democratic institutionalization of the newly independent states of Ukraine, Georgia, and Belarus, their political (in)stability, and economic development and prosperity. By introducing the concept of regime mimicry into the field of public... MORE

Op-Ed: The POST “Post Cold War” Era in Europe
April 24, 2014 — Dr. Jeffrey D. McCausland Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine reflects neither strategic wisdom nor military strength. In fact, it reflects just the opposite. Putin invested over $50 billion and significant personal capital in the Sochi Olympics and the upcoming G8 Summit. That has now been squandered. It was clearly humiliating... MORE