U.S.-Soviet military cooperation: An exercise in equipoise (USAWC Military Studies Program paper)
by James L. Spring, Army War College (U.S.)
Category: Former Soviet republics

On November 9, 1989, the world witnessed the beginning of the end of communism. The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolically signaled the subsequent demise of the Warsaw Pact and the eventual disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Following nearly fifty years of Cold War hostility and mistrust between the United States and its archetypal enemy, the Soviet Union which began to emerge revealed a newfound sense of openness, conscience, and candor. Not only had the 'new Soviets' developed a taste for democratic principles and free market economics, they also demonstrated uncharacteristic willingness to solicit technical and financial assistance from the West. The ultimate evidence of this remarkable metamorphosis was reflected in the Soviet Union's unprecedented support of U.S. policy in the recent Gulf War with Iraq. Given the dramatic lessening of tension between the two former superpower adversaries, the door has opened to a new phenomena: U.S.-Soviet military cooperation. Six such initiatives are discussed herein: Moving to a Professional Army, Building a National Guard, United Nations Peacekeeping, Exchanging Comradeship, Nation Building, and Supporting Arms Destruction. It is proposed that such collaborative efforts will foster a more stable globe, decrease the potential for future U.S.-Soviet conflict, and provide humanitarian relief and assistance to the Third World.