Geopolitical Strategic Competition

Russia
commentary
Has the War in Ukraine Damaged Russia's Gray Zone Capabilities?
Raphael S. Cohen
Jun 22, 2022
The National Interest
Russia's actions are to blame for the damage done to its gray zone capabilities, but it's the West's choice to see whether this respite represents a short-term aberration or presents opportunities for some long-term fixes.
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Gun Policy
blog
Gun Policy, China and Taiwan, Russian Propaganda: RAND Weekly Recap
May 27, 2022
This weekly recap focuses on reducing America's unacceptably high rates of gun violence, what would happen if China “quarantines” Taiwan, and Russia's “firehose of falsehood.”
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United States Department of Defense
commentary
It's Time to Drop 'Competition' in the National Defense Strategy
Raphael S. Cohen
May 18, 2021
The Hill
What should the U.S. Defense Department do during peacetime if the United States is not competing with China and Russia? Simply put, it should prepare to win the next war, while defeating any military aggression below the threshold of conflict.
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Military Force Deployment
commentary
Russian Mercenaries in Great-Power Competition: Strategic Supermen or Weak Link?
Molly Dunigan, Ben Connable
Mar 9, 2021
The RAND Blog
The weaknesses within Russian mercenary forces and within the Russian state in relation to press-ganged youths, conscripts, and casualties may offer opportunities for exploitation in great-power competition. These broader weaknesses in Russian national will to fight could be examined to identify more ways to prevent Russia from aggressively undermining Western democracy.
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Military Strategy
commentary
Thinking in (Napoleonic) Times: Historical Warnings for an Era of Great-Power Competition
Alexandra T. Evans @AlexandraTEvans
Dec 18, 2020
War on the Rocks
Over the last several years, great-power competition has become a major topic of discussion, prompting policymakers, scholars, and pundits alike to look to the past for lessons to explain the emerging contest between the United States and China. Considering how a variety of historical powers have faced rising challengers can aid our understanding of the challenges ahead.
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Geopolitical Strategic Competition
commentary
This Is Not a Great-Power Competition
Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr
May 29, 2019
Foreign Affairs
The emerging conventional wisdom among foreign policy analysts in Washington is that a new era of great-power competition is upon us. But does that phrase really capture today's reality?
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Geopolitical Strategic Competition
commentary
The Need to Think More Clearly About 'Great-Power Competition'
Ali Wyne
Feb 11, 2019
The National Interest
Today's world order is increasingly defined by competition between the United States and a host of major powers, especially China and Russia. Who is America's principal competitor and over what is it competing? What is America’s ultimate objective? And how will it prepare its economy and its society for infinite competition of an indefinite nature?
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Military Strategy
commentary
Cluster Munitions and Rearming for Great Power Competition
David E. Johnson @DaveJohnsonDC
May 9, 2018
War on the Rocks
The United States might need Cluster munitions, anti-personnel landmines, and tactical nuclear weapons to deter or defeat aggression. If policymakers choose to lift bans on these munitions, the ensuing policy restrictions might be tailored to address where these capabilities are necessary.
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Military Strategy
commentary
Managing Chaos in an Era of Great Power Competition
Austin Long, Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100, Seth G. Jones
Sep 5, 2017
War on the Rocks
As Washington policymakers seek a new strategic course, U.S. national security strategy should not neglect the importance of competition short of armed conflict. A U.S. strategy that incorporates this perspective from the beginning could manage chaos at a reasonable cost.
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Quoted

The very fact that Russia felt the need to resort to overt, large-scale conventional force in Ukraine—despite years of operating there in the gray zone—demonstrates that at least in Russian President Vladimir Putin's mind, these ambiguous uses of force in Ukraine failed to achieve their desired ends.

Raphael S. Cohen

Director, Strategy and Doctrine Program, RAND Project AIR FORCE

Source: The National Interest

Centering Putin's interests and catering to his emotional state violates a fundamental bargaining precept: Never negotiate against yourself. To be clear, it's good to understand your opponent's perspective. But first, negotiate for your interests, not for theirs. Second, learn what they really want before offering concessions. Third, make sure they can actually deliver.

Raymond Kuo

Political Scientist

Source: RealClearDefense

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Geopolitical Strategic Competition

Has the War in Ukraine Damaged Russia's Gray Zone Capabilities?

Gun Policy, China and Taiwan, Russian Propaganda: RAND Weekly Recap

It's Time to Drop 'Competition' in the National Defense Strategy

Russian Mercenaries in Great-Power Competition: Strategic Supermen or Weak Link?

Thinking in (Napoleonic) Times: Historical Warnings for an Era of Great-Power Competition

This Is Not a Great-Power Competition

The Need to Think More Clearly About 'Great-Power Competition'

Cluster Munitions and Rearming for Great Power Competition

Managing Chaos in an Era of Great Power Competition

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