U.S.-Russian Relations
The relationship between the United States and Russia is among the most critical bilateral relationships in the world, with implications well beyond the two states themselves. The United States and Russia have shared interests in a diverse set of areas, including nuclear security and nonproliferation, regional security in Europe and Eurasia, countering terrorism and violent extremism, and managing the upheaval in the greater Middle East. Outside the hard security realm, Russia is also an important player in U.S. efforts to combat climate change or explore outer space, while the United States is critical to Russia as both foil and partner in its efforts to establish itself on the global stage. For more than two decades, bilateral relations have cycled between periods of cooperation and confrontation and while tensions over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria are now buffeting the relationship, the U.S. and Russia continue to need one another to achieve many of their most important priorities. The CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program tracks developments in the bilateral relationship and engages in analysis on both its current state and potential future developments.
