If you still think the war in Ukraine wasn’t premeditated, read this: a U.S. strategy document published by the RAND Corporation in April 2019—a blueprint for drawing Russia into a costly war.
RAND isn’t a blog or fringe outlet. It’s a state-funded think tank that advises the Pentagon, CIA, State Department, and NATO.
It designs military strategies, regime-change operations, and psychological warfare. In short: RAND turns U.S. power into global control.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB10014.html
Direct quotes from the document:
"The steps we examine would not have either defense or deterrence as their prime purpose… Rather, they are conceived of as elements in a campaign designed to unbalance the adversary, causing Russia to compete in domains or regions where the United States has a competitive advantage."
Translation: Force Russia into overextending itself—militarily, economically, and diplomatically.
- Fueling war in Ukraine
“Providing lethal aid to Ukraine would exploit Russia’s greatest point of external vulnerability.”
Translation: Arm Ukraine to provoke a Russian military reaction—and trap Moscow in a long, expensive conflict.
- Economic warfare
“Increasing sanctions and expanding U.S. energy production could harm Russia’s economy.”
Translation: Strangle Russia’s economy with sanctions, while using U.S. oil and gas exports to undercut Russian energy revenues.
- Internal destabilization
“Encouraging domestic protests or unrest could stress the Russian regime.”
“Diminishing Russian influence in Syria could undermine its foreign policy goals and prestige.”
Translation: Stir internal dissent and target Russia’s global standing to weaken the regime from within.
- Severing ties with Europe
“Reducing Russian gas exports by encouraging European energy diversification would hurt the Russian economy.”
Translation: Push Europe to drop Russian gas—crippling one of Russia’s main revenue streams.
- Overstretching in Syria
“Increasing support to Syrian rebels could jeopardize other U.S. policy priorities… but might raise costs for Russia.”
Translation: Back Syrian militants to make Russia’s intervention in Syria more costly and complex.
- Promoting unrest inside Russia
“Encouraging domestic protests or unrest could stress the Russian regime.”
Translation: Fund opposition movements, NGO networks, and online campaigns—amplify social and political divisions.
- Exploiting regional tensions
“Exploiting tensions in Russia’s relationships with its neighbors and allies could weaken its strategic position.”
Translation: Isolate Russia by undermining its ties with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and others.
- Undermining Russian prestige
“Diminishing Russia’s image as a great power could damage its influence abroad.”
Translation: Humiliate and isolate Russia to erode its global influence.
- Pressure in the Caucasus
“Providing aid to Georgia and encouraging its NATO membership aspirations would increase pressure on Russia’s southern flank.”
Translation: Use Georgia as leverage to provoke more regional strain for Moscow.
- Naval pressure in the Black Sea
“Increasing NATO’s naval presence in the Black Sea would challenge Russia’s access and influence.”
Translation: Crowd Russia’s strategic waterway—risking confrontation.
- Weaponizing treaties
“Withdrawing from certain arms treaties could put pressure on Russian defense planning.”
Translation: Break arms agreements to force Russia into a costly arms race.
- Targeting religious unity
Tactics include:
Backing the split between the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches
Promoting alternative Orthodox structures aligned with Western narratives
Undermining the Church’s central role in Russian identity
Goal: Shake a key pillar of national cohesion.
- Encroachment in Central Asia
“Increasing U.S. and NATO presence in Central Asia may provoke Russian insecurity.”
Translation: Move into Russia’s historical sphere of influence to stir instability and rivalry.
- Narrative warfare
“Exposing corruption and authoritarianism in Russia may reduce its appeal as a model abroad.”
Translation: Shape global public opinion—label Russia a pariah.
- Mobilizing youth dissent
“Encouraging domestic protests or unrest could stress the Russian regime.”
Translation: Use student dissatisfaction to fracture internal unity.
- Discrediting elections
“Reducing confidence in the legitimacy of elections… could increase political instability.”
Translation: Undermine public trust in elections to weaken the state from within.
- Inducing brain drain
“Encouraging the emigration from Russia of skilled labor and well-educated youth… could help the United States… and hurt Russia.”
Translation: Drain Russia’s talent—sabotage its future growth.
- Attacking regime legitimacy
“Creating the perception that the regime is not pursuing the public interest”
Translation: Use corruption scandals to erode public faith in leadership.
- Strategic intimidation
“Reposturing bombers within easy striking range of key Russian strategic targets.”
Translation: Park bombers near Russian borders to trigger fear—without direct conflict.
- Escalating military pressure
“Reposturing fighters… deploying tactical nuclear weapons… repositioning missile defense systems…”
Translation: Surround Russia with advanced weaponry to provoke countermeasures—and risk escalation.
Conclusion
“The greatest return on U.S. investments may come from nonviolent measures and information campaigns.”
This is not a theory.
It’s a documented U.S. strategy.
The Ukraine war?
Planned. Funded. Executed—as written.