The analysis, published on the website https://dissidentvoice.org and signed by American journalist Rick Sterling, indicated that the Rand report mandated provocations against Russia and predicted that Moscow could retaliate in Ukraine.
According to a 2019 Rand report titled “Overshooting and Unbalancing Russia,” Americans’ goal was to undermine Russia, as they did with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Rand, a think tank three-quarters funded by the US military, listed a number of policies being promoted by Washington in the areas of economics, geopolitics, ideology, information and the military.
Sterling cited Ukraine as a key component of efforts to undermine Russia, prompting the West to invest $5 billion over 20 years to bring Kyiv into its sphere of influence.
The think tank proposed a series of provocations against Moscow that have been carried out and carried out, including last year’s $1 billion increase in military aid to Ukraine’s army.
The company’s proposals included repositioning bombers within striking distance of key Russian strategic targets, deploying more tactical nuclear weapons to locations in Europe and Asia, and increasing the presence of US and allied naval forces in areas of Russian operations (Black Sea ).
NATO war drills on Russia’s borders and Washington’s withdrawal from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) were also considered.
According to Sterling, the alternative that could have prevented or at least anticipated the current Russian military operation would have been to declare Ukraine unsuitable for NATO. However, this would have contradicted Washington’s intention to deliberately stress, provoke and threaten Russia, he stressed.
In December 2021, he noted, Russia proposed a treaty with the United States and NATO.
Russia’s key proposal was a written agreement that Ukraine would not join the NATO military alliance.
The Rand report considered it an “advantage” if increased US aid to Ukraine resulted in a loss of Russian blood and resources.
Sterling welcomes a possible peace deal that would be beneficial to most Ukrainians but would be opposed by the US foreign policy establishment, including the military media industrial complex, and ultranationalist Ukrainians who would be “harmed.”
The journalist concludes that the Rand report shows how US policy focuses on actions to harm Russia and manipulates third countries (Ukraine) for the task. (ALH)
Taken from the Latin Press