Recently, Russia’s increased military prowess caught the attention of numerous major news outlets. But why is this country and its army becoming so prevalent? The answer lies in the war on terror.

Russia’s gradual increase in military might following the Soviet Union’s decline has lodged fear into its enemies in the wake of the war on terror. Allegedly, Russia has an estimated annual $56 billion budget for defense spending. This may sound like an overwhelming amount of money, but to put it in perspective, the United States spends about $650 billion a year on its defense. With this massive disparity between the two countries’ spending, it is only natural for the United States to discredit Russia’s military capabilities. In fact, President Barack Obama recently stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent plan to “fight” terrorism in Syria “is an ill-conceived mission to support the Assad Regime and will likely fail.”

But is this the truth? Russia has proven to the world that its methods in Syria have been effective, efficient, and inexpensive compared to those of the United States and its allies. Russia achieved its goal of stabilizing the Assad Regime while fighting rebels and terrorist organizations all within its $56 billion budget. In fact, analysis suggests that Russia’s Middle Eastern conquest only accounts for about $1-2 billion. Compared to those of other nations, Russia’s approach seems to be the most economic and timely.

Although U.S. citizens generally have a distaste toward Russia, objective examination of Russian military conflicts shows Russia’s superiority in minimizing casualties and expenses during such conflicts. To suggest that Russia and the United States will resume the race to become the strongest superpower is not my place; however, it is undeniable that Russia’s military force is not one to be discredited.