The current strategic focus of the United States centers around how to confront the challenges presented by this new era of Great Power competition. As the United States shifts its focus on China and pivots to the Pacific, it must find a way to fulfill its commitments to allies in other areas of the world. The United States European Command (EUCOM), in concert with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), are the main institutions positioned to protect Europe. EUCOM and NATO have been given the difficult task of confronting a resurgent and aggressive Russia. Russia has used a variety of gray-zone initiatives to reduce NATO capability and response in areas of Russian interest. Russia has shown in recent conflicts that it will be the aggressor and will deploy asymmetric capabilities to reduce the defensive capacity of targeted nations.[1] By exercising gray-zone warfare in places like the Crimean Peninsula, Russia has been able to seize the initiative.[2] Such tactics have allowed for the expansion of Russian influence without incurring direct intervention from NATO. By exercising similar initiative and use of gray-zone power in the Baltic Sea region, Russia could further expand its influence over former Soviet republics.
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