The Case for a "Strategic Pause": Russia and the United States in a New Era

Abstract

U.S.-Russia relations are no longer central to international relations, but they still occupy center stage when it comes to global security. While these relations are usually analyzed based on problem areas between the two countries, this article argues that the key issue between Russia and the United States at the moment is not the poor state of the relationship, but rather its changed nature, since the two pillars that used to shape the relationship - principles and agenda - have evolved. The essay also argues that Moscow and Washington need a "strategic pause" to critically assess the value of relations for each party and that it may take some time - and a few election cycles in the US and a change of power in the Kremlin - to produce a situation that is qualitatively different from what we are observing today.