For more than 200 years, Russia and the United States have
shared a multi-faceted diplomatic relationship, at one point
even sharing a land border when Russia had a settlement at Fort
Ross, California. Over this period, the two countries have
competed for political and economic influence, and cooperated to
meet mutual global challenges. In 2007, private and government
organizations in the United States and Russia mark the
bicentennial of diplomatic relations with events that illustrate
the depth and history of the relationship. Brief Historical
Overview Russia's sale of Alaska to the U.S. Government in the
mid-19th century marked an active period that included
commercial joint ventures and Russian support for the United
States during the American Civil War. The early 20th century saw
sometimes tense relations, but our countries continued to talk
and, at times, cooperate. Although the United States did not
recognize the Soviet Union until 1933, we provided humanitarian
assistance to the victims of the 1921-192