Analyst: United States could 'Flip' Russia to its side.

• Author: Tadjdeh, Yasmin

As the United States faces threats from a resurgent Russia, it should consider making it an ally one day, said one defense analyst.

There is "the possibility ... that we might be able to flip Russia to our side," said Andrew Krepinevich, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, during a briefing with reporters.

In a report released by CSBA called, "Preserving the Balance: A U.S. Eurasia Defense Strategy," Krepinevich argues that the Cold War adversary is "undergoing a slow disintegration."

"Putin is playing a weak hand well. Russia is a great power in decline," he said. At the same time, Russia faces threats from China and from terror groups such as the Islamic State, he said.

"Over time, the challenges posed by an expansionist China and a radicalized internal Muslim population may find Russia's interests becoming more aligned with those of Western Europe and the United States," he said.

In the report--which is meant to help craft a defense strategy for Eurasia that would prevent the emergence of a hegemonic power--Krepinevich said: "Russia is poorly positioned to engage in a protracted competition with the United States."

Its economy is only one-tenth the size of the...