All the talk of a Chinese-Russian alliance is overblown. Even if it fully develops, what then?
Hypothetically, China could forge an alliance with Russia, a nearby power with which it shares some common competitors. The problem is that Russia’s focus must be on its west and on the Caucasus. It has no ground force it could lend to China, nor does it have a naval force that would be decisive in its Pacific operations. A simultaneous strike westward by Russia and eastward by China is superficially interesting, but it would not divide U.S. and allied forces enough to take the pressure off of China.
On the surface it is a World War II situation of rogues in Europe and Asia combining in an alliance. But in reality, if this is an echo of World War II, Putin has the Mussolini role and not the Hitler role, or even the Tojo role.
Although truth be told none of them had a good end. But Mussolini did die first and in the most humiliating circumstances.
Russia needs America more than America needs Russia. It would be useful to America if Europe was secured from pointless Russian threats, but America would still need troops in continental Europe to keep it democratic and free, I'm sad to say. So America has no need to offer concessions to Russia to pry Russia from China.
At best, Russia's dalliance with China just puts Russia last on the list of Chinese victims whose defeats will restore lost Chinese conquests--assuming China has limits to their claims.
Russia should be begging America for our friendship. Russia needs America to keep China from eventually extorting Russia to regain China's lost imperial lands in Russia. When will Russia realize that and stop appeasing China?
