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Russia has chosen a path that leads to them becoming a Chinese vassal state. China needs their oil, gas, minerals, and food, and is far richer and more powerful
by api 5y ago
Russia has chosen a path that leads to them becoming a Chinese vassal state. China needs their oil, gas, minerals, and food, and is far richer and more powerful. China will end up turning Russia into a resource extraction client state.
Edit: I wonder if China greenlit the invasion precisely because they understand that this will hand them total control of Russia. Putin is a fool who may have been played.
Russia's elite may actually fare very well in the long term, since it'll be similar to how the USA props up the Saudi royal family in exchange for their ability to pump oil and regulate the market price. Russia's people will find themselves more and more disempowered and the country will continue to suffer massive brain drain.
- drumhead 5y agoThats partially the reason for Russia wanting to "get the band together again" with the reformation of the USSR, or a Greater Russia. You do get the feeling that the Stans are the next set of nations to experience a post USSR anschluss. The only way they can get anywhere near the USSR in power and influence is to be bigger and with more people. That way it can threaten Western Europe more effectively and hold its own against China and the US.
- api 5y agoUnfortunately for Putin I think they've already blown it. China could come in and basically buy Russia now given the damage all these sanctions have done to their economy, and meanwhile they've illustrated clearly that the rest of "the band" does not want to get back together. Putin is going to need to learn Chinese.
- em500 5y agoFrom the Chinese perspective, of the USA has their Saudi, why can't they have their Russia? For the Russian commoners it will be a bad deal, but if the deal can be made attractive enough for the Russian leadership there seems to little they can do.
- throwaway290 5y agoExactly. CCP, the most powerful opposition to democracy, gains foothold next to US and EU borders. Putin and the elite gets their bonuses and keeps living in their mansions. No one dares supporting a revolution in Russia, China's new buffer state, lest Xi gets angry. Cosmopolitan middle class Russians suffer for a bit, forget iPhones and learn Chinese. Brainwashed Russians are happy to unite with their communist comrades.
- astkaasa 5y agoChina may see US/NATO's stupidity and greed as the reason of this war. The view and lecture by Mearsheimer is popularly discussed these days.