For years (decades?) I've been arguing that Russia's pointless hostility toward NATO was making Russia's Far East problem worse. China's claims on Russian territory there are dormant--not abandoned. Russia needs NATO friendship.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is turning out badly for Russia on its eastern front, too:
China has also been investing more money in its “lost territories” in Pacific Coast Russia. More Chinese are coming into these territories to live and do business while, since the 1990s, more Russians left. China expected to eventually take control of the lost territories economically and with a lot of Chinese residents. The Ukraine-related sanctions have sped up this process. ...
It suits China to allow Russia to weaken itself further and become more dependent on China. This is their long-range strategy to defeat Russia and retrieve the Pacific coast territory lost to the Russian monarchy centuries ago. For the moment China goes along with the Russian version of the war, in which Russia is simply defending itself from NATO aggression. China intends to be the only winner in this war and so far, that is happening.
I want Russia to lose this war. But I don't want China to win.
Which is why I've been desperate to see a way out of this spiraling NATO-Russian hostility that diverts both the West and Russia from containing China.
This is all the fault of Russia. I've wanted to focus on China. But Russia's policy of appeasement of China to secure its Far East while Russia is weak is now clearly a failure. Russia has weakened its military and exposed it as less effective than advertised. Russia had best not count on another extension of Chinese restraint.
Strategersky. Putin's stupidity is astounding. A 3D chess player, my ass.
#WhyRussiaCan'tHaveNiceThings
NOTE: War coverage continues at this post.
