The United States and the USSR were very contrasting in regards to their foreign policies after WWII. The Soviets gave up more lives than any other nation in the war (suffering over 20 million casualties), and felt they should have a more influential role in postwar Europe. The US feared the spread of communism immensely, and sent financial assistance and supplies to Western Europe in an effort to keep the political environment stable to prevent any possibility of them turning communist. While the US was sending in economic aid and provisions through the Marshall Plan to Western Europe, the Soviets followed a different approach. In order make a better postwar recovery, the Soviets annexed Eastern Europe and exacted resources and factories, and trade made Eastern Europe serve as satellite states to the greater Russian power in Moscow. Both the US and USSR vied for more geopolitical influence, with Soviets annexing certain territories while the US sent financial assistance to countries in an effort to keep them democratic and capitalist.