20200402 Contemporary Russian Approaches to Deterrence

When: 2 April, 2020 at 1400CEST/0800EST

Where: Zoom Webinar

Presentation Summary
For a number of reasons rooted in both strategic culture, history, military practice, and, perhaps most importantly, language, the concept of deterrence in Western military strategy does not have a precise Russian equivalent. In fact, the Russian concept of sderzhivanie – the most common translation of the word deterrence into Russian – is far broader than the English deterrence. Understanding Russia’s actions through the Russian conceptual lens can help us make sense of a lot of Moscow’s recent behavior. Additionally, the flaws in the Russian concept and the conceptual mismatch with Western notions of deterrence is a major destabilizing factor in the broader political-military relationship between Russia and the West.
 About the Presenter

Samuel Charap is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. His research interests include the political economy and foreign policies of Russia and the former Soviet states; European and Eurasian regional security; and U.S.-Russia deterrence, strategic stability and arms control.

From November 2012 until April 2017, Charap was the senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Prior to joining the IISS, he served at the U.S. Department of State as senior advisor to the undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security and on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff, covering Russia and Eurasia. From 2009 to 2011, Charap was director for Russia and Eurasia at the Center for American Progress.


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