Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 underscored the
vast differences between the world views of Russia and the United
States. Yet these differences notwithstanding, Russia and the United
States do share key security challenges. One of these is terrorism. The
2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, saw the attendance of a
significant number of highprofile U.S. citizens at an event explicitly
threatened by Islamic insurgents. This was seen to provide a prime
opportunity for the two nations to foster meaningful cooperation against
a common threat. Yet, the extent of joint work in counterterrorism with
Russia remains insignificant. Written before the Sochi Games, this
monograph by Henry Plater-Zyberk explores the Russian approach to
counterterrorism, and draws significant conclusions on the prospects for
common cause with Russia in fighting terror.