JRL NEWSWATCH: “America’s New Twilight Struggle With Russia; To Prevail, Washington Must Revive Containment” – Foreign Affairs: Max Bergmann, Michael Kimmage, Jeffrey Mankoff, Maria Snegovaya

“… [C]containment should prioritize defending Russia’s threatened neighbors, especially those that do not have a clear and immediate path to NATO membership. Apart from Ukraine, Russia’s most vulnerable neighbors include [non-NATO] Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova …. The United States should offer … training and weapons … [and] bolster [their] resilience against Russian gray-zone threats, ranging from cyberattacks to election meddling. It should share intelligence … and invest in critical infrastructure, such as power grids and data storage. … [S]anctions have imposed real costs [on Russia] … [but] Moscow has adapted … to a war economy sustained by vast energy resources …. The United States has been reluctant to impose sanctions on Russia’s oil sector for fear of exacerbating [domestic] inflation …. Russia’s dependence on oil is a vulnerability … the United States should [exploit]. Western policymakers should take more proactive measures to push down the price of Russian oil, following … Ronald Reagan’s early 1980s policy …. U.S. strategy toward Russia must recognize the peril of direct military confrontation. Washington must remain open to negotiating with Russia on arms control, cyberwarfare, and regional conflicts … plainly demonstrate that the United States does not seek war … and … cooperate … on issues such as climate change and space …. Implementing … modern containment … will require bipartisan buy-in and … sufficient defense spending. …”

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