WI: The United States were really out to weaken Russia?

Many Russian today believe that the Americans ore out to get them, they point to NATO expansion, and the pillaging of Russia's economy in the 90's.

What if the United States actually made a serious effort to keep Russia down, assuming that crippling it's former rival would be in its best interest, just how far could they plausibly go?
 
Hmmm. I think that one of the things I would do would be to push American power and authority into Central Asia - all those former Soviet Stans. I'd install airbases and outposts all over, make nice with the local dictators, sign trade agreements and treaties. Basically, compete with and undermine the Russians in their own back yard.
 
Also denouncing the repression of the minority inside thr Russian Federation while Founding actively and arming supporting indipendence movment in siberia and in the far east, also in karelia and in the Caucasus.
 
I would extend NATO into former states of the USSR, and attempt to subvert or regime change others, pushing Russia back to its most limited borders.

Economic moves would be critical, but the trouble is Russian Oil and Natural Gas, which gives it disproportionate influence in Europe. Has to be some way around that.
 
*snip*

Economic moves would be critical, but the trouble is Russian Oil and Natural Gas, which gives it disproportionate influence in Europe. Has to be some way around that.

Quite easy, prevent its nationalisation and give the extraction contract to american or European company
 
Quite easy, prevent its nationalisation and give the extraction contract to american or European company
Good luck with that. Yeltsin may have been flawed and made mistakes, but that is just a bridge too far even for him.

You'd have to push secession of the region. Maybe achieve a greater Ukraine.
 
Also denouncing the repression of the minority inside thr Russian Federation while Founding actively and arming supporting indipendence movment in siberia and in the far east, also in karelia and in the Caucasus.
There is no such thing. Not that the Americans have not tried to at least encourage its creation. For example, a few years ago an American funded University actually set its students the task of determining the economic development of an independent Siberia.
And have you looked at the demographics of Karelia? It's the last autonomous Republic in Russia which would seek independence.
 
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