JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia in the Gray Zone” – Aspen Institute/ Kathleen Hicks
“… Russia is waging campaigns … [to influence world affairs with a] significant number of … tactics … [falling] between routine statecraft and direct and open warfare …. Americans … familiar with Russia’s disinformation efforts in the United States and its use of ‘little green men’ in Ukraine … may be less attuned to stepped-up Russian political and economic coercion abroad … gray zone cyber
and space operations[] and … proxy forces in Syria. … [aiming] to achieve Russian objectives at low[]cost, notably by side-stepping military escalation with the United States or its NATO allies. … [T]he prevalence of these tactics is more significant today than any time since the end of the Cold War. Disinformation, political influence, and economic and energy coercion are the core of the Geramosov Doctrine’s emphasis on … non-military means to achieve security goals. … * * * [Regarding proxy forces, i]n Ukraine, Syria, and the Central African Republic … Russia has deployed a paramilitary mercenary organization, the Wagner Group. Last year, US military forces successfully struck Wagner Group positions in Syria.”
There also reportedly have been, among other things … disinformation efforts targeting European Parliamentary election turnout and voter preference … missile sales to NATO’s Turkey … Russian and Chinese cyber infiltration … [including Russian] probes of the U.S. power grid … and Russian activities in Venezuela …. The author goes on to discuss U.S. political, legal economic and international strengths and the need to address challenges posed by Russia.
Click here for: “Russia in the Gray Zone” – Aspen Institute/ Kathleen Hicks