US-Russian relations have been in a downward spiral since 2014, spurring the exchange of sanctions and a military build-up. Relations have also been exacerbated by Washington's withdrawal from the INF Treaty and NATO's regular drills and reconnaissance flights near Russia's borders.
Researchers at the California-based think tank, RAND Corporation, have come up with a strategy for the US aimed at “overextending” and “destabilising” Russia's economy and armed forces. The authors were inspired by a similar strategy developed in 1972 and aimed at directing the US-USSR competition to a direction, profitable for Washington, but costly for the Soviet Union. The think tank has suggested imposing “cost-imposing options” on Russia using its perceived “vulnerabilities”, which at the same time won't pose great risks and costs to the US.
“Such cost-imposing options could place new burdens on Russia — ideally heavier burdens than would be imposed on the United States for pursuing those options”, the research said.
As opposed to the anti-USSR strategy, RAND researchers point out that the military domain will not yield as many achievements in terms of overextending Russia, as before, but will be at the same time very costly for Washington, pointing out the militarisation of space as an example of a poor option.
The think tank has suggested intensifying economic pressure on Russia, continuing the trend of imposing sanctions, which as RAND…
