USA vs.

RUSSIA
The United States of America (USA), commonly referred to as the United States (US)
and America, and sometimes simply the States, is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and
a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.. are in central !orth "merica
bet#een anada and $e%ico. The state of "las&a is the north#estern part of !orth "merica and
the state of 'a#aii is an archipelago in the mid()acific. The country also has fi*e populated and
nine unpopulated territories in the )acific and the aribbean. "t +.,- million s.uare miles
(-.8+ million &m
/
) in total and #ith around +08 million people, the 1nited 2tates is the third or
fourth(largest country by total area and third largest by population. 3t is one of the #orld4s most
ethnically di*erse and multicultural nations, the product of large(scale immigration from many
countries. The geography and climate of the 1nited 2tates is also e%tremely di*erse, and it is
home to a #ide *ariety of #ildlife.
)aleo(indians migrated from "sia to #hat is no# the 1.2. mainland around 05,000 years
ago, #ith 5uropean coloni6ation beginning in the 07th century. The 1nited 2tates emerged from
0+ 8ritish colonies located along the "tlantic seaboard. Disputes bet#een 9reat 8ritain and these
colonies led to the "merican :e*olution. ;n <uly 4, 0,,7, as the colonies #ere fighting 9reat
8ritain in the "merican :e*olutionary War, delegates from the 0+ colonies unanimously issued
the Declaration of 3ndependence. The #ar ended in 0,8+ #ith the recognition of independence of
the 1nited 2tates from the =ingdom of 9reat 8ritain, and #as the first successful #ar of
independence against a 5uropean colonial empire.The current onstitution #as adopted on
2eptember 0,, 0,8,. The first ten amendments, collecti*ely named the 8ill of :ights, #ere
ratified in 0,-0 and guarantee many fundamental ci*il rights and freedoms.
Dri*en by the doctrine of manifest destiny, the 1nited 2tates embar&ed on a *igorous
e%pansion across !orth "merica throughout the 0-th century. This in*ol*ed displacing nati*e
tribes, ac.uiring ne# territories, and gradually admitting ne# states. The "merican i*il War
ended legal sla*ery in the country. 8y the end of the 0-th century, the 1nited 2tates e%tended
into the )acific ;cean, and its economy #as the #orld4s largest. The 2panish>"merican War and
World War 3 confirmed the country4s status as a global military po#er. The 1nited 2tates
emerged from World War 33 as a global superpo#er, the first country #ith nuclear #eapons, and
a permanent member of the 1nited !ations 2ecurity ouncil. The end of the old War and the
dissolution of the 2o*iet 1nion left the 1nited 2tates as the sole superpo#er.
The 1nited 2tates is a de*eloped country and has the #orld4s largest national economy,
#ith an estimated 9D) in /00+ of ?07.8 trillion@/+A of global nominal 9D) and 0-A at
purchasing(po#er parity. The 1nited 2tates has the #orld4s third highest 'uman De*elopment
3nde%. The economy is fueled by an abundance of natural resources, #ith per capita 9D) being
the #orld4s si%th(highest in /000. While the 1.2. economy is considered post(industrial, it
continues to be one of the #orld4s largest manufacturers. The 1.2. has the highest mean and
second(highest median household income in the ;5D as #ell as the highest a*erage #age,
though it has the fourth most une.ual income distribution among ;5D nations #ith roughly
07A of the population li*ing in po*erty. The country accounts for +7.7A of global military
spending, being the #orld4s foremost economic and military po#er, a prominent political and
cultural force, and a leader in scientific research and technological inno*ation.
Russia officially &no#n as the Russian Federation is a country situated in northern
5urasia. 3t is a federal semi(presidential republic. Brom north#est to southeast, :ussia shares
land borders #ith !or#ay, Binland, 5stonia, Cat*ia, Cithuania and )oland (both #ith
=aliningrad ;blast), 8elarus, 1&raine, 9eorgia, "6erbaiDan, =a6a&hstan, hina, $ongolia, and
!orth =orea. 3t shares maritime borders #ith <apan by the 2ea of ;&hots&, the 1.2. state of
"las&a across the 8ering 2trait and anada4s "rctic islands. "t 0,,0,5,400 s.uare &ilometres
(7,5-/,800 s. mi), :ussia is the largest country in the #orld, co*ering more than one(eighth of
the 5arth4s inhabited land area. :ussia is also the #orld4s ninth most populous nation #ith
04+ million people as of /00/. 5%tending across the entirety of northern "sia and much of
5astern 5urope, :ussia spans nine time 6ones and incorporates a #ide range of en*ironments
and landforms.
The nation4s history began #ith that of the 5ast 2la*s, #ho emerged as a recogni6able
group in 5urope bet#een the +rd and 8th centuries "D. Bounded and ruled by a Earangian
#arrior elite and their descendants, the medie*al state of :us arose in the -th century. 3n -88 it
adopted ;rthodo% hristianity from the 8y6antine 5mpire, beginning the synthesis of 8y6antine
and 2la*ic cultures that defined :ussian culture for the ne%t millennium. :us4 ultimately
disintegrated into a number of smaller statesF most of the :us4 lands #ere o*errun by the $ongol
in*asion and became tributaries of the nomadic 9olden 'orde. The 9rand Duchy of $osco#
gradually reunified the surrounding :ussian principalities, achie*ed independence from the
9olden 'orde, and came to dominate the cultural and political legacy of =ie*an :us4. 8y the
08th century, the nation had greatly e%panded through con.uest, anne%ation, and e%ploration to
become the :ussian 5mpire, #hich #as the third largest empire in history, stretching from
)oland in 5urope to "las&a in !orth "merica.
Bollo#ing the :ussian :e*olution, the :ussian 2o*iet Bederati*e 2ocialist :epublic
became the largest and leading constituent of the 2o*iet 1nion, the #orld4s first constitutionally
socialist state and a recogni6ed superpo#er, #hich played a decisi*e role in the "llied *ictory in
World War 33. The 2o*iet era sa# some of the most significant technological achie*ements of
the /0th century, including the #orld4s first human(made satellite, and the first man in space.
Bollo#ing the dissolution of the 2o*iet 1nion in 0--0, the :ussian 2B2: reconstituted itself as
the :ussian Bederation and is recogni6ed as the continuing legal personality of the 1nion state.
The :ussian economy ran&s as the eighth largest by nominal 9D) and fifth largest by
purchasing po#er parity. :ussia4s e%tensi*e mineral and energy resources, the largest reser*es in
the #orld, ha*e made it one of the largest producers of oil and natural gas globally. The country
is one of the fi*e recogni6ed nuclear #eapons states and possesses the largest stoc&pile of
#eapons of mass destruction

:ussia is a great po#er and a permanent member of the 1nited
!ations 2ecurity ouncil, a member of the 9/0, the ouncil of 5urope, the "sia()acific
5conomic ooperation, the 2hanghai ooperation ;rganisation, the 5urasian 5conomic
ommunity, the ;rganisation for 2ecurity and ooperation in 5urope (;25), and the World
Trade ;rganisation (WT;) and the leading member of the ommon#ealth of 3ndependent
2tates.
The chances that the 1.2. and :ussia #ill clash militarily o*er $osco#4s in*asion of
1&raine are *ery, *ery slim. 1&raine isn4t a member of !"T;, and )resident ;bama isn4t li&ely
to *olunteer for another #ar. 8ut many of 1&raine4s neighbors are !"T; members, including
)oland, :omania, 2lo*a&ia, and 'ungary. "nd so are the the 8altic states @ Cithuania, Cat*ia,
and 5stonia @ further north and right on :ussia4s border.
3f any of those countries come to 1&raine4s aid and find themsel*es in a #ar #ith :ussia,
!"T; is obliged to inter*ene. That4s also true if :ussia comes up #ith some prete%t to in*ade
any of those countries, unli&ely as that seems. 3f #e learned anything from World War 3, it4s that
huge, bloody conflicts can start #ith tiny s&irmishes, especially in 5astern 5urope.
"gain, the 1.2. and :ussia almost certainly #on4t come to blo#s o*er 1&raine. 8ut #hat
if they didG
3f you as&ed that .uestion during the old War it #ould be li&e those fanciful 9od6illa *s. =ing
=ong, or 8atman *s. 2uperman match(upsH Which superpo#er #ould pre*ail in all(out battleG
8ut :ussia isn4t the 2o*iet 1nion, and military technology didn4t stop in 0--0.
The 1.2. is much #ealthier than :ussia and spends a lot more on its military. That doesn4t mean
a #ar #ould be easy for the 1.2. to #in, though, or e*en guarantee a *ictoryH "s !apoleon and
'itler learned the hard #ay, :ussia #ill sacrifice a lot to #in its #ars, especially on its home
turf.
2o, #hat #ould a #ar bet#een the 1.2. and :ussia loo& li&eG 'ere are a fe# scenarios, from
a#ful to merely badH
Nuclear Armageddon
5*en #ith the slo# mutual nuclear disarmament since the end of the old War, the 1.2. and
:ussia each ha*e thousands of nuclear #arheads at the ready. "s 5ugene ho# noted earlier this
year, the entire stoc&pile of 1.2. intercontinental ballistic missiles (38$s) @ 448 acti*e @ is
essentially aimed s.uarely at :ussia. :ussia4s hundreds of 38$s are probably returning the
fa*or.
3n all, the 1.2. has about ,,,00 nuclear #arheads, including 0,-50 #arheads ready to
deploy *ia 38$, submarine, and airplane, plus thousands more in mothballs or #aiting to be
dismantled, according to the latest tally by the Bederation of "merican 2cientists. :ussia has
slightly more #arheads o*erall @ about 8,500 @ but a slightly fe#er 0,800 of them operational.
hina, in comparison, has about /50 nuclear #arheads, a bit less that Brance (+00) and a bit more
than 8ritain (//5).
!uclear #ar #ith :ussia is still mutually assured destruction. 'opefully, that4s still deterrent
enough.
A conventional war in Eastern Europe
This is the other scenario that ne*er happened in the old War. !o#, the possibility of scenario
one (nuclear "rmageddon) ma&es this one almost e.ually unli&ely. 8ut for the sa&e of argument,
let4s assume this hypothetical 1.2.(:ussia #ar brea&s out in 1&raine, and that other !"T;
forces are supplementing 1.2. troops, ships, and aircraft. 1nli&e in the "sia()acific, #here the
1.2. &eeps hina in chec& (and *ice *ersa, as 5ugene ho# e%plained), !"T; pro*ides the
1nited 2tates #ith a robust military alliance set up specifically to ta&e on 2o*iet :ussia.
The first dynamic is that :ussia #ould ha*e home field ad*antageH The :ussian na*y has
long called rimea its home, and #hate*er troops :ussia doesn4t already ha*e in 1&raine are
right ne%t door, one border(crossing a#ay. The other big starting point is that the 1.2. and its
!"T; allies ha*e :ussia effecti*ely surrounded. 8y its o#n public count, the 1.2. has 5-8
military facilities in 40 countries, along #ith the 4,470 bases in the 1.2. and 1.2. territories.
"long #ith its large number of bases in 9ermany, the 1.2. has maDor military installations in
Iatar and the Diego 9arcia atoll to :ussia4s south and <apan and 2outh =orea to its east. !"T;
allies Brance and 8ritain are e*en closer.
3f :ussia #ould ha*e the ad*antage at sea @ 2e*astopol is its home port, and the 1.2.J!"T;
#ould ha*e to dislodge its na*y @ the 1.2. #ould ha*e an edge in the s&ies, mostly. KThe 1.2.
planes ha*e better radar, missiles, and electronic #arfare e.uipment, #hile the :ussian planes
are Dudged to ha*e superior handling and thrust(to(#eight ratio, #hich #ould gi*e them an edge
in a classic dogfight,K says harles lo*er at the Financial Times.
8ut classic dogfights are at least as dated as Top Gun, :ussian defense analyst :uslan )u&ho*
tells FT. K5*er since 2o*iet days #e ha*e been lagging behind the 1.2. in military a*iation.K
8ecause of that gap, he adds, 2o*iet and :ussian military planners ha*e in*ested hea*ily in air
defense systems, and the 2(+00 and 2(400 systems are the best in the #orld. K3t4s li&e bo%ing,K
)u&ho* says. K3f you ha*e a #ea& right arm, you need to compensate by a strong left arm. 2o*iet
strategists made up for a #ea&ness in a*iation by in*esting hea*ily in air defense systems.K
" 1.2.(:ussia #ar probably #ouldn4t end up a dra#, but it #ould be a bloody mess. The site
Global Firepower ran&s the 1.2. the most po#erful con*entional military in the #orld, and that4s
#ithout !"T;, but :ussia is a pretty close second (here it differs #ith 9aleotti). 3f you loo&
do#n the list of military assets, the 1.2. beats :ussia in almost e*ery category @ :ussia has
more tan&s, ground artillery, and mine #arfare craft.
There4s a #ild card, thoughH 2ince /000, the 1.2. and :ussian militaries ha*e been increasingly
cooperating, including engaging in Doint military e%ercises. 1nli&e in 2o*iet times, or e*en the
0--0s, 1.2. and :ussian military commanders &no# one another and are familiar #ith each
other4s armaments and strategies. 1ntil the 1.2. put all 1.2.(:ussian military engagements on
hold $onday, the relationship #as good and impro*ing.
A proxy war
2hort of a negotiated peace #ith no casualties, this is the best of the bad options. The 1.2. and
:ussia ha*e already fought a string of pro%y #ars, the big ones being Eietnam to "fghanistan. 3n
this scenario, the 1.2. might finance 1&rainian forces to fight :ussian soldiers, #ith the probable
goal of dri*ing them out of 1&rainian territory. ;r, should the 1.2. or !"T; bac& the 1&rainian
army, :ussia might fund pro($osco# separatist mo*ements in 1&raine against it.
:ussia helped the !orth Eietnamese beat the 1.2. in 2outheast "sia, and the 1.2. helped the
$uDahideen defeat the 2o*iets in "fghanistan. 3f that pattern holds, and 1&raine is the
battleground, then it4s bad ne#s for the occupying army. Advantage: America. For a general
comparison , see tale on page !"
2ourcesH
0.###.globalfirepo#er.com > table comparing the t#o countries
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RUSS#A USA