A critical examination of U.S. policy misfires in dealing with Russia and its intentions and capabilities over the past several decades is long overdue. Three factors largely account for this problem. All of them continue to affect contemporary policymakers’ approach to a deeply troubled relationship with Moscow. By unpacking the analytical assumptions that underlie these misconceptions, President Joe Biden’s administration and other important policy players will be better equipped to ensure that U.S. policy going forward is grounded in the most realistic understanding of the challenge that Russia poses and the right kinds of tools that the United States should use to contend with it.
OP-ED
Eugene Rumer, Richard Sokolsky: The impact of misperceptions about Russia on US policy
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a ceremony to greet graduates of military higher education institutions of the Russian Defence Ministry, the Ministry for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Natural Disaster Relief, the Russian Federal Security Service, the Russian Federal Guard Service and Rosgvardiya at the Kremlin in Moscow.
