Section: RAND (USA)
Russia Explained: What Americans Need to Know
Among the many international issues confronting the candidates for U.S. president and the American electorate in this fall’s election is the U.S. strategic posture with regard to Russia, its aggression against Ukraine, and the policies of its leader, Vladimir Putin. Two RAND experts explore a range of critical issues that will confront the...
Ukraine Needs a New Storyline
Wars have simple strategic storylines. Ukraine, lacking a clear narrative, needs one to sustain Western support. The recent Kursk counteroffensive offers a reset, but Kyiv must articulate a plan. …read more Source::...
How to Make the Most of the Kursk Gambit
Ukraine’s bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk region may not be enough to deliver an absolute military victory for Kyiv. However, the Kursk offensive may work to Ukraine’s advantage at the negotiating table. …read more Source::...
Ukraine, Kursk, and the Importance of Lines of Operation in History
Ukraine’s bold incursion into Kursk mirrors historic tactics using interior lines. To withstand Russia’s response, Ukraine must consolidate forces, leveraging the rapid reinforcement and supply advantages interior lines provide. …read more Source::...
Ukraine Has Found a Path to Victory
Ukraine has pulled off an operation that could buy time to regenerate and reequip its forces. The Kursk incursion puts in doubt Russia’s ability to launch any major offensives for the rest of the year. Given sufficient Western aid, Kyiv could have the capability to begin restoring its territory in 2025. …read more Source::...
What Military History Tells Us About Ukraine’s Kursk Invasion
The ambiguity of Ukraine’s ground offensive into the southern Kursk region of Russia underscores its boldness. At least now, in Kursk proper, and in the larger political realm, Ukraine has the initiative. And in war, as military history shows, initiative is everything. …read more Source::...
NATO Bolsters Its Eastern Flank
Reinvigorated in large part because of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is stronger now than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Its 75th anniversary summit in July dwelt on bolstering its eastern flank and supporting Ukraine. …read more Source::...
Resourcing the Ramp-Up: NATO and the Challenge of a Coherent Industrial Response to Russia’s War in Ukraine
NATO countries’ security depends on continuing to equip Ukraine to win in a costly war of attrition against a determined Russian adversary. But militaries must also rebuild their own stocks and urgently modernize their forces if they are to prepare for any potential future war involving NATO. …read more Source::...
Lessons from Afghanistan for NATO’s New Ukraine Command
One of the clear lessons from Afghanistan is that NATO is unable to execute operations without U.S. leadership. Ultimately, the level of Western support for Ukraine—and its effectiveness—will rise and fall based on U.S. policy and commitment, just as it did in Afghanistan. …read more Source::...
Russia’s Speedy Military Rebuild Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
As the fighting in Ukraine grinds on, Western policymakers and military officials are thinking ahead to the next war. Given how fast Russia is reconstituting its military, they are asking, when might it be able militarily to launch another large-scale offensive operation? …read more Source::...
