Digital Commons Network^™

Russian Resilience: Sanction Elusion Mechanisms Utilized During The Russo-Ukrainian War, Ivan Siffredi Santa Ana

Journal of Strategic Security

Since the 2022 invasion, the United States and the European Union have imposed a wide range of sanctions, including those directed to Russia’s financial industry, central bank, and hydrocarbon exports, among many others. Even though these restrictive measures implied a severe hindrance for the Russian State apparatus, it has been able to sustain both its economic resilience and its war effort in Ukraine. The present article aims to identify and analyze the economic and logistical mechanisms that allowed Russia to elude Western sanctions and sustain its abovementioned dimensions. In this sense, the reach of support of the strategic relations will …

Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …

Russian Use Of Smart Power To Achieve Northern Sea Route Objectives, Troy Bouffard

Interdisciplinary Studies

This dissertation examines Russia's use of smart power in pursuing its strategic objectives for the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the Arctic. Through three interconnected articles, it analyzes how Russia combines soft and hard power approaches to assert control over the NSR and legitimize its claims. The first article challenges Russia's legal justification for NSR control by presenting new data on sea ice conditions and navigational risks. The second article explores how Russia's military posture in the Arctic has evolved in response to geopolitical shifts, particularly NATO expansion. The third article investigates Russia's strategic communication efforts to shape international perceptions …

Book Review: Deterrence In The 21st Century: Statecraft In The Information Age, Timothy L. Thomas

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Authors: Eric Ouellet, Madeleine D’Agata, and Keith Stewart

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Timothy L. Thomas (US Army, retired), analyst and Parameters editorial board member

Analyst Timothy L. Thomas provides a useful overview of “well-documented and thought-provoking compilation of Canadian perspectives on the interaction of modern-day deterrence postures affected by disinformation threats.” Thomas notes that “the book offers many new concepts for senior defense community experts to consider regarding deterrence and disinformation concepts and an expansive bibliography.” He also highlights the book’s treatment of China, Russia, and Hamas and writes that “[t]he numerous deterrence types . . . indicate that classical …

Air Supremacy, The Enabler Of Close Air Support Operations – An Evaluation Of Past, Present, And Future Air Campaigns., Owen Topolnicki

Senior Honors Theses

The achievement of gaining aerial supremacy, or lack thereof, is the hinge upon which Close Air Support (CAS) swings. The attainment of it enables CAS specialist aircraft, not unlike the Ju-87 Stuka or A-10 Thunderbolt II, to be exceptionally effective in their operating environment. While the lack of it, forces aircrews to pioneer new solutions either in the form of multi-role aircraft (capable of self-defense), or other innovative solutions similar to unmanned aerial systems (UAS’s), as aptly seen in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Thus, the ability of an air force to gain air supremacy and to do so quickly, …

Fundamentals Of The State Policy Of The Russian Federation In The Area Of Nuclear Deterrence, Russia Maritime Studies Institute, Anna Davis, Richard Moss

RMSI Research

On 19 November 2024, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving the revised "Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Area of Nuclear Deterrence." This version supersedes the one published in 2020 and includes several changes to the State Policy.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Fear-Based Politics Of Vladimir Putin, Ben Capocci

Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News

This Op-Ed discusses the reasons for aggressive Russian actions, including the threat of nuclear warfare and the invasion of Ukraine, and how these actions are rooted in deep-seated fear of Western forces.

How To Make Everything About Sanctions? Review Of “How Sanctions Work, Iran And The Impact Of Economic Warfare” By Bajoghli, Nasr, Salehi-Isfahani, And Vaez (2024), Siamak Javadi, Alborz Pakravan, Ojan Bahadori, Alireza Akhondi

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

A 2024 book titled “How Sanctions Work, Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare” by Narges Bajoghli, Vali Nasr, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, and Ali Vaez argues that sanctions have had no impact on the behavior of the Islamic Republic in Iran (IR hereafter) and have instead inflicted pain on the ordinary Iranians. While the book does offer a useful description of the evolution of the sanctions against the IR, it fails in its analysis and conclusions.

Understanding Russian Hybrid Warfare Against Europe In The Energy Sector And In The Future ‘Energy-Resources-Climate’ Security Nexus., Maurizio Geri

Journal of Strategic Security

To avoid escalations to full kinetic (military) wars is imperative to win the non-kinetic part of the so-called “hybrid warfare”, which use both kinetic and non-kinetic methods. The goal of the non-kinetic methods of hybrid warfare, or as others call it “grey zone” activities, or “subthreshold” tactics, is to defeat hearts and minds, as well as pockets, of adversaries, with social, political, and economic tools. This article focuses on energy as the crucial sector of the economic tools, and specifically uses an innovative approach, what the author calls the ‘energy-resources-climate security nexus’, as a new battleground for future strategic competition …

The War Came To Us: Life And Death In Ukraine. By Christopher Miller. London: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2023., Amos C. Fox Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

The Role Of America’S European Allies In The Russia-Ukraine War, 2022–24, John R. Deni, Lisa A. Aronsson

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 John R. Deni

What more can US allies in Europe do to assist Ukraine militarily? More broadly, what can the United States expect from its closest allies in Europe in strategic competition with Russia and China? In this monograph, John R. Deni and Lisa A. Aronsson assess whether US allies and partners in Europe can continue providing military assistance to Ukraine or expand assistance, while preserving their own national security and fulfilling their NATO commitments. They also explore what the Russia-Ukraine War reveals about the role of European allies in future iterations of strategic competition. Their findings indicate European …

Parameters Autumn 2024, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of Parameters. The Autumn issue consists of a special piece from the US Army War College Commandant and Provost on their strategic vision for the college, three In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Cooperative Partnerships, Professional Development, and Historical Studies), two regular forums (A Major’s Perspective and the Civil-Military Relations Corner), and a review essay focused on strategy in India.

A Long, Hard Year: Russia-Ukraine War Lessons Learned 2023, Michael T. Hackett, John A. Nagl

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This special commentary summarizes the major findings and lessons taken from the Russia-Ukraine War integrated research project conducted by members of the US Army War College class of 2024—all subject matter experts on their topics. It outlines seven lessons covering doctrinal, operational, technological, strategic, and political issues related to the second year of the war, including Russia’s use of mercenaries, the need to create a culture of mission command, ways to deal with a transparent battlefield because of persistent, ubiquitous surveillance, air superiority as a prerequisite for successful combined arms ground offensives, and changes to the intelligence and information domains.

From The Acting Editor In Chief, C. Anthony Pfaff

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of Parameters. The Autumn issue consists of a special piece from the US Army War College Commandant and Provost on their strategic vision for the college, three In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Cooperative Partnerships, Professional Development, and Historical Studies), two regular forums (A Major’s Perspective and the Civil-Military Relations Corner), and a review essay focused on strategy in India.

Imperial Nostalgia: The War For The Kievan Rus Legacy., Jacob Wolfe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the deep-seated historical, cultural, and religious narratives fueling the modern conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Central to this dispute is the legacy of the Kievan Rus, a medieval East Slavic state. The research examines historical claims over the Kievan Rus legacy, Russia's perception as the heir to the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the impact of the Soviet Union's dissolution. It also delves into the Varangian Guard's role in establishing Kievan Rus-Byzantine relations, the mistrust instilled by the Crusades, and the shared linguistic and cultural influences between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, the thesis analyzes the Normanist Controversy, Russian …

Analogous Response Redux: Vladimir Putin’S Aspirations For Altering The Maritime Balance, Jerome J. Burke

Newport Papers

Analogous Response was a term of analytical shorthand that American strategists and intelligence analysts developed in late 1983 and early 1984. The term characterized in two words a Soviet maritime strategy of deploying off the U.S. coast submarines armed with nuclear SLCMs. By making that deployment, the Soviet leadership could establish an endo-atmospheric nuclear threat to the continental United States (CONUS) that Marshal Nikolay V. Ogarkov, chief of the General Staff of the USSR, described as follows: “The Soviet systems to be deployed in the oceans and seas and relevant to the territory of the United States itself will be …

How Does This End?: The Ukraine War And The Future Of Russia, Jonathan M. Acuff, Hannah N. Clegg

Journal of Strategic Security

We analyze a range of future scenarios for Russia related to the Ukraine War. Although regime change is a publicly-stated objective for several leaders of NATO countries, we find very little prospect for it. The Russian economy has largely evaded the effects of the sanctions. Despite enormous casualties and incompetence in the management of the war, both Putin and the war remain popular with the Russian public. Contrary to most analysis to date, the Wagner Group mutiny of June 2023 is not an indication of Putin’s weakness, but his strength. The coercive mechanisms of the Russian state remain intact. Indeed, …

Rights In Conflict: Examining Investment Treaty Arbitration And Intellectual Property Rights In The Wake Of Russia’S Invasion Of Ukraine, Grace Klutke

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This article examines how the armed Ukraine-Russia conflict opened a doorway for a wave of international arbitration via corporate actions against Russia for violating BIT obligations. To provide context for the suggested BIT arbitration against Russia, this article begins with a brief discussion of the historical background of this conflict and investor-state treaty arbitration. This article next pivots to analyze the applicability of investor-state treaty arbitration to compensate lost IP investments in three parts. Part I considers how investor-state treaty arbitration function with ongoing armed conflict and which investors may initiate investor-state treaty claims. Next, Part II reports on the …

Economic Sanctions And Article V(2)(B) Of The New York Convention: A Touchy Interaction Exacerbated By The Ukraine-Russia Conflict, Alberto Pomari

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

States have deployed an unprecedented wave of unilateral sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They have also escalated the political connotation of economic sanctions by aggressively implementing them extraterritorially. This exercise of lawfare, substituting economic sanctions for armed conflict, raises the question of whether to consider unilateral sanctions elements of public policy within the meaning of Article V(2)(b) of the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. This article seeks to clarify the interplay between Article V(2)(b) and economic sanctions. Explaining the two different approaches that domestic courts implement worldwide, recent court …

Comparing The Us Response To The Soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan And The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: Learning From The Past And Planning For The Future, Zachary Hogan

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

As the Russo-Ukrainian war continues to rage, the decisions of the present are of paramount importance. In order to make the most positive and well-supported decisions in this ongoing conflict, it would be wise to look to past instances of similar situations. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is such an instance. The parallels between the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the past Soviet invasion of Afghanistan are extensive and, more importantly, informative for U.S. foreign policy. It is with this lens that this paper will pursue a historical foreign policy analysis of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, its circumstances and …

Echoes Of War In Lithuania, Jokubas Salyga

Political Science Faculty Publications

The chapter explores the impact of the war on the everyday lives of Lithuanians. It begins by addressing the economic challenges instigated by Vladimir Putin’s military adventurism, and the latter’s burden on workers and the poor. This is followed by documenting the unwavering determination of the Lithuanian government and its people to create a hospitable environment for Ukrainian refugees. Subsequently, the chapter delves into the trials and tribulations faced by Ukrainian arrivals in Lithuania, drawing comparisons with the experiences of Belarusian and Russian nationals who have also sought refuge in the country. The latter are currently viewed as a potential …

Glasnost, Perestroika And Big Mac's: The Significance Of Mcdonald's In The Changing Face Of The Ussr, Theresa Bartholomew

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Early on the morning of 30 January 1990, George Cohon, president of McDonald'sCanada, left his hotel room and drove to Pushkin Square in Moscow. Nervous about the international press that would be covering the opening of the first McDonald's in this nation and anxious to make the opening perfect, he arrived to see the streets empty in front of the fast-food restaurant except for a lone policeman. Wondering where the anticipated crowds of Muscovites were, Cohon approached the officer, concerned by the apparent lack of interest in the first McDonald's opening in the Soviet Union. After a short conversation with …

The Time Of Troubles Causation, Class Warfare, And Conflicting Interpretations, Jeffrey S. Hardy

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The end of a dynasty in medieval or early modern Europe was often followed by a calamitous period of conspiracy and revolt, intrigue and bloodshed. Such was the case in Russia from 1598 to 1613, the period later called the Time of Troubles. Few epochs still weigh on the collective conscience of the Russian people as does the Time of Troubles. Fears associated with this period remain to this day, as evidenced by the frequent references to it after the fall of the Soviet regime. But the Time of Troubles has not always been well understood. The chroniclers and revisionists …

Understanding Russian Disinformation And How The Joint Force Can Address It, Michael J. Kelley

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Russia will dominate information warfare if the United States does not treat disinformation as central to Russian strategy. This article examines the vital role disinformation played in post–Cold War Russian strategy, including its strategy in the current Russia-Ukraine War, and in a departure from previous scholarship, this article observes that US defense leaders are aware of Russian disinformation but have failed to assess its impact or sufficiently negate Russian influence. The article also reviews current US efforts and suggests proactive ways to counter Russia’s disinformation strategy.

Parameters Summer 2024, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

From The Editor In Chief, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Summer 2024 issue of Parameters. We open this issue with a special “In Memoriam” by General Charles A. Flynn, Commander US Army Pacific, honoring the life and legacies of our director and consummate colleague, Carol V. Evans. We dedicate this issue to her. General Flynn’s memoriam is followed by an In Focus commentary on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. We then feature three forums covering the Russia-Ukraine War, the Middle East, and Professional Development. This issue also contains special essays on the role of professional writing, the US Army War College’s Civil-Military Relations Center, …

Rotten To The Corps: Understanding The Human Rights Consequences Of Military Failure Through The Eyes Of Russian Prisoners Of War, Gary Mercer

International Studies (MA) Theses

The February 24th , 2022, Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent unresolved conflict it created has threatened the human rights of combatants and noncombatants alike on both sides, with discernable battlefield factors of Russia’s military failure contributing to human rights abuses and war crimes. Sixty interviews with Russian prisoners of war conducted by Ukrainian journalists published online were analyzed to determine which specific factors of Russia’s military failure contributed to human rights abuses and war crimes in Ukraine. Training, logistics and equipment, and the failure of the officer corps were identified as factors of military failure which contributed to …

Terrorism In Africa: An Analysis Of The Efficacy Of U.S. Counterterrorism, Max Yong

Global Tides

This paper seeks to identify whether United States aid to Africa has impacted violent terrorist activity on the continent. The existing literature has produced a range of critiques. Many have voiced concern about foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) growing and blame ineffective efforts by the U.S. for this reality. Instances of African nations, in the face of persisting security challenges from FTOs, turning to political adversaries of the U.S. for assistance is evidence of this sentiment. Furthermore, terror attacks since the onset of the U.S. Global War on Terror (GWOT) have only remained higher than in the previous era. Others have …

China Maritime Report No. 37: Re-Engaging With The World: China's Military Diplomacy In 2023, Jie Gao, Kenneth W. Allen

CMSI China Maritime Reports

China’s military diplomacy plays a crucial role in advancing the nation's foreign policy objectives and safeguarding its strategic interests. This report highlights a diverse array of activities within military diplomacy, including senior-level meetings, joint military exercises, naval port calls, UN peacekeeping operations, and academic exchanges. Our findings reveal a significant—but incomplete—recovery in China's military diplomacy activities in 2023, following a period of reduced contacts with foreign militaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia and Russia remain primary partners for China, with emerging strategic importance also seen in Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East. Overall, China's military diplomacy underscores its efforts …