Implications of Change Management in US Strategy in Light of Perceived Russian Threats*

Abstract

        The Russian war in Ukraine represents the culmination of escalating tensions between the United States and Russia, and has constituted a crucial turning point in the United States’ perception of the nature of Russian threats, in a way that has rearranged the priorities of American national security and the contexts of dealing with the Euro-Atlantic strategic environment. Since 2014, the Ukrainian crisis has no longer been merely a limited regional conflict, but has turned into a platform that reveals the nature of the challenge posed by Russia as an international power seeking to reshape the rules of international balance using a combination of conventional power and hybrid capabilities, and the associated direct effects on American interests and its allies. This study is based on the premise that the US strategy for confronting perceived Russian threats relies on employing change management as a central strategic approach. This approach aims to reshape and contain the threat environment through an integrated mix of deterrence tools, alliance building, and escalation management, rather than relying solely on direct confrontation. This reflects a shift in the US strategic perception of the nature of the Russian threat and the limits of dealing with it.

The study is divided into three main sections. The first section examines the pattern of the Russian geopolitical threat within the US strategic framework (the Ukrainian model). The second section addresses the strategic importance of Ukraine in both US and Russian strategic perceptions. The third section focuses on change management in US strategic performance to counter the perceived Russian geopolitical threat.