I’d like to believe that the US’s attitude has hardened enough towards Russia that they wouldn’t be interested in a major rapprochement with Moscow if it was still in Crimea. Perhaps ‘real politic’ may make them feel it worth peeling Russia away from China. It may well be that after a while Ukraine takes Crimea anyway.
The biggest barrier to such a rapprochement would be whether Moscow would want to alienate a major export market but China does not behave in ways that generate affection and good will with other countries. I guess I’ll have to make sure I live a good long life to see how things work out.
It occurs to me that this topic is worth monitoring closely for some time. My feeling is that China is a rather ego-centric ally who will mainly look upon Russia's situtation as a chance to by a lot of oil and gas at a steep discount. I've read some speculation that in the very long term the experience of being a long term client state to China might move a Post Putin Russia to a rapprochement with Europe and the West.
Yes, as the Ukraine War kickstarted Cold War II (with China the main Western adversary) just like the Korean War on the other side of Eurasia kickstarted Cold War I (with the USSR the main Western adversary), we may well see a mirror occurrence of “Nixon goes to China”. Some Dem President goes to Moscow in the 2040’s?
All things are possible Richard, though for a futuristic Nixon to go to Moscow the Russians will have to have been thrown out of Crimea first. I hold a shy hope the last thing will happen
I’d like to believe that the US’s attitude has hardened enough towards Russia that they wouldn’t be interested in a major rapprochement with Moscow if it was still in Crimea. Perhaps ‘real politic’ may make them feel it worth peeling Russia away from China. It may well be that after a while Ukraine takes Crimea anyway.
The biggest barrier to such a rapprochement would be whether Moscow would want to alienate a major export market but China does not behave in ways that generate affection and good will with other countries. I guess I’ll have to make sure I live a good long life to see how things work out.
It occurs to me that this topic is worth monitoring closely for some time. My feeling is that China is a rather ego-centric ally who will mainly look upon Russia's situtation as a chance to by a lot of oil and gas at a steep discount. I've read some speculation that in the very long term the experience of being a long term client state to China might move a Post Putin Russia to a rapprochement with Europe and the West.
Yes, as the Ukraine War kickstarted Cold War II (with China the main Western adversary) just like the Korean War on the other side of Eurasia kickstarted Cold War I (with the USSR the main Western adversary), we may well see a mirror occurrence of “Nixon goes to China”. Some Dem President goes to Moscow in the 2040’s?
All things are possible Richard, though for a futuristic Nixon to go to Moscow the Russians will have to have been thrown out of Crimea first. I hold a shy hope the last thing will happen
Why? I can certainly see Russia keeping Crimea and the US still pulling Russia over.
The ROC in Taiwan still claimed/claims all of mainland China (in theory) but that didn’t stop US-PRC rapprochement.