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Alex Houston

English 112

Mrs. Barnes

15 May 2017

Russia and the United States: A Path to Peace

The United States and Russia have had an extremely complicated relationship for years,

and things dont appear to be getting any better for the two. Will the countries ever accomplish

peace, or will they forever remain in conflict? The answer to this question wont be found until

the outcome is certain. However, there is a way to prove that there is chance for peace, and all

conflicts can be solved one way or another. Although the United States and Russia have had an

unstable past, with the proper regulations, the future is bright!

The 1900s were some frightening years for both of the countries, seeing as the first and

second World Wars occurred, and relationships were tested. The United States and the Soviet

Union naturally came out on top, as they were both a part of the worlds superpowers. However,

both countries shared uncommon ideologies, which led to conflict between the two. Looking

towards the years between 1950 and 2000, it is seen that the main girth of the countries quarrel.

Around this time, the cold war began, and the countries were locked in an Arms Race, which was

the race between the US and USSR to develop better, and more efficient nuclear weapons. In an

interview conducted with a man who lived through this time, professor Frank Costigliola said, I

grew up, in a time much more different than yours, more specifically, when I was Junior in

highschool the Cuban Missile Crisis was going on, and I remember specifically there being this

prospect that my friends, family, nor I would be alive the next day, which isnt something we
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face today. Any person can see that the tensions during the Cold War were extremely high.

However, the next race that came along would prove to be extremely beneficial to both the US

and the USSR.

Much of the history of these two countries has been spent trying to prove dominance over

the other. Whether it be militaristic or knowledge of the universe, the next race began in 1957.

This race was called the Space Race. Russia started the race when they released the satellite

known as Sputnik. This led many Americans to become enraged and confused as they began to

believe that Russia was far ahead of the US technologically. The US government sprung into

action and began to develop their own space programs and poured government funds into the

math and science divisions of the United States Education program. The programs formed by

the United States are formally known as the Apollo and Gemini programs. The Space Race

ended around 1975 when the two countries launched a joint space mission called the

Apollo-Soyuz project. The mission was essentially an effort to end the bad relationship that the

countries were accumulating, and rekindle the alliance the two once shared. The mission was a

success, and the Space Race quickly came to an end. What can be seen here, is that peace can be

accomplished, and when working together, the two countries can make revolutionary change.

When it comes to change, the United States has just concluded a very historic election.

However, we must look at how Russia influenced the election, and how relations will be affected

based on the victor. When both parties were holding their respective conventions, Russia was

caught red handed when hacking the DNC (The Democratic National Convention). Also,

Vladimir Putin came out on multiple occasions promoting our now President Trump, which isnt

a surprise based on the bad blood between Putin and Clinton. Their hate for each other is so
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strong, that Putin said, If Donald Trump is elected, its world peace. If Hillary Clinton is

elected, its war. ( While many may see this as a bluff, it was very clear that Russia was training

thousands of soldiers, and preparing for a war towards the end of the election. While the

Democrats may blame Russia for their loss, a Republican victory meant for a much more likely

chance at peace between the two countries. In a survey conducted at Jackson High School,

eighty-eight percent of students believe that due to the election of Donald Trump, the bond

between the countries will be strengthened. While neither party can deny Russias involvement

in the election, when it comes to relations between the United States and Russia, both countries

came out with a chance for cooperation and peace.

In conclusion, we can see the two countries have had a rough past, however, a gateway

to peace has been presented, and must act upon it as such. President Trump and Vladimir Putin

must come together and create the proper regulations and agreements, to ensure for a safe, and

productive future. While there have been frightening moments in the relationship between the

two superpowers, the duo has acted together on multiple occasions to win wars, and make huge

strides in the field of science. While the future is unpredictable, now is the time to act to create

peace, and reignite the flame of hope for an alliance between the United States, and Russia.
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Works Cited

Filipov, David. "Why this outrageous Putin allys statement about Trump and nuclear war

doesnt much matter." The Washington Post. WP Company, 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017.

Costigliola, Frank. Personal interview. 10 March 2017.

Houston, Alex. Russia US Survey. Survey. 16 March 2016.