“Right now, their main objective is the summits,
the diplomacy, to try to gain as much as they
can — gaining a lot for giving up nothing.”
Even as other countries have bolstered their own
capabilities, Russia’s own decadeslong interest in
American politics makes it the most challenging
and realistic adversary, said Lewis, of CSIS.
“They’re politically astute in a way that no other
country can match, and that makes them the
most formidable opponent,” Lewis said. “They
just know us really well.”