As Russia's economy has grown, so have the country's global involvementand influence, which often take forms that the United States neitherexpects nor likes, as the August 2008 conflict in Georgia demonstrated.Despite the two countries' many disagreements and the rising tensionbetween them, the United States and Russia share some key interests andgoals. In this monograph, the authors assess Russia's strategicinterests and the factors that influence Russian foreign policybroadly. They examine Russia's domestic policies, economic development,and views of the world, as well as how these translate into securitypolicies at home and abroad. They then consider the implications ofRussia's evolving approaches for U.S. interests.
