Maybe some truths. That is a Uke fanboy though…Quote:
How Beijing benefits now
Today, it's a different story, but China nonetheless stands to benefit. A protracted war of attrition in Ukraine serves Beijing's interests in that it will lead to the long-term weakening of Russia, thereby fundamentally shifting the Sino-Russian power balance decisively in China's favor for years to come. China is also benefitting from cheap Russian energy, which is supporting its economy and improving China's competitive position in world markets. Measured by value, Russia's pipeline gas exports to China increased two-and-a-half times in 2022, while its liquefied natural gas exports to China more than doubled. Last year China also increased its volumes of Russian coal by 20 percent.
In addition to energy, China stands to benefits from the realignment of Russia's priorities caused by its invasion of Ukraine in the area of military modernization. The biggest prize over the horizon for Beijing is negotiating with Moscow for access to its advanced military technology, especially attack submarine propulsion systems, where China is significantly behind Russia and the West. This also applies to several other Russian weapon systems, including hypersonic missile technology, whereby the past three decades of access to Western technology have allowed Moscow to build upon and improve Soviet-era systems.
Much of the debate across the West today concerns the end state in Ukraine, but very little about potential end states in Russia, which for China remains a core question. Putin's folly of invading Ukraine has all but guaranteed that Russia will emerge from the conflict enfeebled and diminished in its relative power position in Eurasia and globally. History has shown that Russian wars fought outside the national territory tend to generate powerful centrifugal forces at home, leading to internal turmoil, as was the case in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 and the defeat of tsarist armies in 1917. Either Putin or his eventual successor could look to Beijing for support as he contended with domestic strife. China would then be in a position to condition its support on fealty to Beijing.
There is another option, the chances of which are small but not zero. Defeat in a major foreign war might in extremis lead to the fracturing of the Russian state, as happened following the Soviet war in Afghanistan, which saw the USSR implode two years after the Soviet troop withdrawal. Here, too, Beijing stands to benefit if Russia's central and eastern parts then becoming subject to Chinese predation for resources, vassalization, oras unlikely as it might seem noweven colonization.
I did miss this CBS documentary from August. Unsurprised the censorship industrial complex Party had them pull it.
70% of the weapons we sent Ukraine were sold on the black market to launder money according to CBS News. Less than 30% made it to the front lines! 😳https://t.co/lbCrWwb9LA#Ukraine #Ukrainian #SlavaUkrainii #SlavaUkraine #SlavaUkraïniWeg #SlavaUkraïni #MoneyLaundering #Biden
— MAGA Lion Hat 🇺🇸🦁🎩 (@LionHat) June 1, 2023