Will Scholz’s China gamble be Russia 2.0?
The Germans tried to change Russia through trade. That failed miserably. But its new approach with Beijing is still fraught with risk.
Menu
The Germans tried to change Russia through trade. That failed miserably. But its new approach with Beijing is still fraught with risk.
Undersea cables, which span the globe, remain vulnerable to Russian attack.
China’s president has just crowned himself for a third five- year term and taken full control of all its institutions
Putin has appointed General Surovikin , nicknamed the butcher of Syria, to command all Russian forces in Ukraine. His job description: “Do whatever it takes.”
The steady trickle of evidence of the Russian army’s low morale since day one of the invasion of Ukraine has become a deluge since Putin’s partial conscription was announced.
Most senior US analysts of China say Beijing fully expects Washington to send troops to defend Taiwan if it is invaded. Whether this belief would make a difference to Xi’s actions is unclear.
Does the Kremlin expect the Russian public to believe the ludicrous figures on Ukrainian vs Russian military fatalities? Even in a country with tightly controlled media, there’s only so much suspension of disbelief available.
The war in Ukraine has only increased Beijing’s leverage over Moscow. The two leaders’ face-to-face meeting in Uzbekistan will no doubt highlight this.
The two NATO “allies” are squaring up in the Aegean. What happens next depends mostly on how far Erdogan is willing to push things.
Subscribe to Reaction and receive unlimited access to the site, our daily email with analysis every evening and invites to online events.
© Copyright 2022 Reaction Digital Media Limited – All Rights Reserved. Registered Company in England & Wales – Company Number: 10166531.