On March 13th, Dr. Catherine Dale discussed “Resetting the U.S.-Russian Relationship? Risks and Opportunities.”  In her talk, she stressed four points:

1. Russia’s behavior is not new.  Russia learned in Abkhazia that “a little bit of intervention goes a long way.”
2. Russia’s behavior is not surprising.  There has been a consistency in Russian foreign policy going back to Soviet times and it fits with Russia’s view of itself as a great power.
3. Russia’s behavior is not OK.
4. There is hope.  The U.S. needs a “clear strategic vision” about how to approach Russia, which would entail “pragmatic cooperation and respect within a framework of responsibility and accountability.”  The U.S. should NOT accept the situation in Crimea.  While there is hope, there is no “grand bargain that can reset the relationship over night.”

In addition to her talk, Dr. Dale met with students and participated in Gen. Breedlove’s briefing.

Dr. Dale currently directs the Center for Russia and Eurasia at the RAND Corporation.  Before joining RAND, Dr. Dale was Senior Advisor to the Commander, U.S. European Command, who was dual-hatted as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.  She has also been Senior Advisor to the Commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command in Afghanistan; Political Advisor to the Commanding General of Combined Joint Task Force-7 in Iraq; Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense; and Special Assistant to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Georgia.  She also led the Congressional Research Service’s analytical efforts regarding overall defense strategy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

The event was initiated by and Dr. Dale introduced by Gen. Breedlove.  Her visit was co-sponsored with the Center for International Strategy, Technology and Policy.  Her talk was live-streamed to Georgia Tech Lorraine.