A pro-Russian rebel fires sniper rifle toward Ukrainian army positions at the frontline near Peski village, Donetsk, eastern Ukaine, Nov. 21, 2014 (AP photo by Mstyslav Chernov).

With combat operations in Afghanistan fading in the rearview mirror, the United States is turning its attention to finding ways to stem Russian aggression. U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration supports the creation of a new NATO rapid reaction force and is sending more troops and tanks to Europe. These steps are intended to revive deterrence of Russia. They may do so given the nature of the challenge that Russia poses, but they also underscore the limitations of the old Cold War notion of deterrence in today’s security environment. When the Soviet Union fielded nuclear weapons during the opening years of […]