March 7, 2017

[Vladimir] Putins aggression makes the possibility of a war in Europe between nuclear-armed adversaries frighteningly real, writesKimberly Martenin a newCouncil Special Reporton tensions between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). She outlines how U.S. policymakers can deter Russian aggression with robust support for NATO, while reassuring Russia of NATOs defensive intentions through clear words and actions based in international law.

Marten, a professor of political science at Barnard College, Columbia University, and director of the Program on U.S.-Russia Relations at Columbias Harriman Institute, lays out several scenarios that could lead to a dangerous confrontation, ranging from an inadvertent encounter between NATO and Russian military aircraft or ships to an intentional Russian land grab in Europe. The report, produced by theCenter for Preventive Actionat the Council on Foreign Relations, offers a plan for how the Donald J. Trump administration could work with Congress and NATO allies to lessen the chances of crisis escalation.

Marten recommends that U.S. policymakers take the following steps to deter Russian threats:

She also suggests a series of reassurance measures to demonstrate that the United States and NATO have only defensive intentions, including:

Marten acknowledges that President Trumps efforts to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin and launch another reset policy may lead to new accord between the two countries, but expresses fear that Putin will test Trumps strength by seeking unequal advantages for Moscow.

To interview the author, please contact the Global Communications and Media Relations team at 212.434.9888orcommunications@cfr.org. To read the full report,Reducing Tensions Between Russia and NATO, visitwww.cfr.org/RussiaNATOCSR.

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US Should Support NATO and Offer Reassurances to Russia, Says New Council Special Report - Council on Foreign Relations