Professional Affiliation

Associate Professor of National Security Strategy, National War College, National Defense University; Former Professor of Strategic Security Studies, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

Expert Bio

Suzanne Loftus is Associate Professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College, National Defense University. She also serves as Global Fellow at the Kennan Institute and is a member of the Advisory Council. She was previously Associate Professor of Strategic Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Suzanne's latest book, Russia, China and the West in the Post Cold War Era: The Limits of Liberal Universalism, is an analysis of the inadvertent consequences of American liberal hegemony and its clash with rising civilizational states such as Russia and China.

Wilson Center Project

American Grand Strategy in the 21st Century: Deterrence, Pragmatic Engagement, and Resilience 

Project Summary

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is cementing global trends already visible prior to its inception. The West stands firmly behind its principles of democracy, territorial integrity, and the right to choose alliances as it helps Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression and subversion. Russia has overtly rejected liberal normativity and "western hegemony" over the European security architecture. China claims it is not taking sides but continues to tacitly support Russia. Much of the Global South has refused to take sides in the war, much to the West's dismay. An emerging bipolarity with China and Russia on one side, the West on the other, and the rest in between, is taking shape. Staying competitive in this strategic competition while preventing the outbreak of great power war should be the primary goal of U.S. grand strategy for the 21st century.  A grand strategy of deterrence, pragmatic engagement and resilience would ensure peace, allow the U.S. to retain technological and economic leadership, increase American soft power in the Global South, and strengthen democracy domestically. 

Major Publications

Russia, China and the West in the Post-Cold War Era: The Limits of Liberal Universalism, Palgrave Macmillan, 2023.

"Legitimacy and Societal Consent in Putin's Russia: State Capacity and National Identity," Russian Politics, March 2022.

Insecurity and the Rise of Nationalism in Putin's Russia: Keeper of Traditional Values, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018