This is the game I suspect: Everybody knows that Russia is not likely into invade Ukraine (just as China is not likely to invade Taiwan), but they pretend otherwise so that when Russia does not invade the Failed US Foreign Policy Brain Trust will sell the narrative "Being tough on Russia worked, we are the defenders of Democracy" even as the WOKE Revolution burns American democracy to the ground.
This will likely work on Americans who are too often ignorant cowards, but in the end this serves the aims of the Empire...."America, Clown Country".