02-05-2017, 05:09 PM
And again you edit while I am responding.
I have been arguing with John about this, Russia and China HAVE been cooperating, and while there are certainly good historical/geopolitical for friction between the two, they have been making a good faith effort to set those aside, at least for the moment. However, the US can accomodate Russia's desire for a sphere of influence in the FSU and selected places abroad (Tartus, for one) much more easily than it can afford to accommodate Chinese desire for parity. Making an effort to do so with the former is unlikely to bring Russia on line to support the US bid to maintain hegemony directly, but it could buy neutrality and an end to distractions from the "pivot to Asia", and at the very least help to prevent active Russian assistance of China if things turn south.
Russia doesn't really like US hegemony, but I doubt it would like Chinese hegemony any more (and quite possibly a whole lot less).
So, like I said, I see it as a very sound geopolitical move, one I happen to support.
I have been arguing with John about this, Russia and China HAVE been cooperating, and while there are certainly good historical/geopolitical for friction between the two, they have been making a good faith effort to set those aside, at least for the moment. However, the US can accomodate Russia's desire for a sphere of influence in the FSU and selected places abroad (Tartus, for one) much more easily than it can afford to accommodate Chinese desire for parity. Making an effort to do so with the former is unlikely to bring Russia on line to support the US bid to maintain hegemony directly, but it could buy neutrality and an end to distractions from the "pivot to Asia", and at the very least help to prevent active Russian assistance of China if things turn south.
Russia doesn't really like US hegemony, but I doubt it would like Chinese hegemony any more (and quite possibly a whole lot less).
So, like I said, I see it as a very sound geopolitical move, one I happen to support.