The Conflict

The ideological conflict between capitalism and communism sparked the Cold War, fought by the two countries that emerged most powerful from World War II—the United States and the Soviet Union. Espionage between the two superpowers was a major component of the Cold War. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and the Cold War ended, the nature of espionage between the United States and Russia changed dramatically.

Political

• Since 1991, Russia has been more concerned with its own internal situation, particularly its economy, than with acquiring U.S. military secrets. The United States, meanwhile, has made new enemies in the Middle East, and focuses its espionage on this region more than on Russia. Despite the high-profile arrests of Russian spies...