Russia and Americas National Security - Essay Example

In my opinion, what Stephen Cohen has to say is fairly correct. I agree with him on most of the points he has put forward. This attempt of Stephen to show the United States the grave danger it is facing should be given a thought and the United States should alter its foreign policy accordingly. John L. Perry in his article, 'Russia Still a Threat, Says Defense Intelligence Agency', mentions that America might officially announce that Russia is just another friendly nation but inside it's intelligence agency knows that Russia is a nuclear threat.

(Perry, 2001) Another reason by the United States must change its policies is because Russia now knows that the cold war has not ended from the other end. It has now started to prepare against the United States to protect itself from possible threats. Michael McFaul in his article, reported Putin's announcement of arrangements to be made for Russias safety. Putin did not mention a name but this safety was obviously from the United States. The article also believes that even though the cold war has apparently ended, the United States should still be worried about its present situation and relations with Russia.

In the past, Russia might have supported the United States in fighting terrorism but now it is no longer interested in integration with the west. It is now bothered about its own security. It is now interested in joining hand with states that are anti-west, balancing its power with the United States and threathening United States allies namely Gerogia. Micheal also discusses the reason why this has changed. The first reason in his opinion is Moscow not wanting to interact with NATO, European Union and United States and how Russia has drifted from the west's way of governance.

The second reason is potential threat from the United States and the fact that it does not want Russia to grow as a nation. According to Putin, the threats have not finished, they have just changed their appearance. Lastly, Russia wants to see itself equally strong and respectable as the United States. (McFaul, 2007) However, the article by Stephen Cohen is ignoring the fact that a lot of points of the present Russian foreign policy are against the United States and these pose as a threat to the United States.

Therefore, if United States acts against Russia, it is only doing so to protect itself from dangers. Edward Lucas in his book, "New Cold War Examines Russia's Threat to U.S", also agrees with Stephen. He says that the world is on the verge of a new cold war. But this war would not be like the one before as Russia is not longer in the position to be a global threat. Also this time it is not an ideological war as Russia is now itself a capitalist state. It is a war because Russia is fighting for its value to win this war; Russia is using cash gas propaganda and bluff.

He also says that U.S has not done the right thing by not talking to Russia on strategic nuclear weapons and that this does not make America safer. It just increases the danger of an accidental nuclear war. (Lucas, 2008) The world surely does not want to go back to what it has experienced in the past. Therefore, all that can be done to avoid the threat of a new