Implications of a Resurgent Russian Federation for U.S. European Command

This thesis explores the Russian Federation's resurgence as a center of influence and the implications of this resurgence for United States European Command. This is accomplished by examining three countries within European Command's area of responsibility as case studies to determine Russian and U.S. interests, the convergence and divergence of those interests, and ultimately the implications for European Command. This study is based on the hypothesis that the Russian Federation's resurgence impacts European Command's activities by forcing European Command to strike a balance between cultivating Russia as a strategic partner on security cooperation issues and preparing to defend US allies against Russian aggression.