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[Politics] Russia invades Ukraine (24/02/2022)









Scappa

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2017
1,418
Indeed. Russia needs China.
But evidently China doesn't think it needs Russia. It just wants Russian territory and natural resources.
China has tried before to acquire the rights to water from Lake Baikal to supply Beijing, only for the locals to kick up a stink. Can well imagine that would be part of any negotiations between the two.
 








Brovion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
19,482
China is waiting and waiting while Russia gets weaker and weaker. Perhaps encouraging them to keep going.

As soon as a civil war erupts in any part of Russia - or when Putin is toppled - then they pile into their lost lands around Vladivostok ?
Yeah. What had crossed my mind, and I'm not sure if this is a hope or a fear, is that China and Russia could have the equivalent of the Nazi Germany and Soviet Union 'non-aggression pact'. Those two were at best 'frenemies', and whilst they co-operated in carving up Poland in 1939 they both wanted to destroy each other.

As you say if Russia gets weakened will China make a play? I actually hope not as I think that would be a huge escalation and expansion of the conflict. God knows where it would end then.
 


raymondo

Well-known member
Apr 26, 2017
6,187
Wiltshire
China is waiting and waiting while Russia gets weaker and weaker. Perhaps encouraging them to keep going.

As soon as a civil war erupts in any part of Russia - or when Putin is toppled - then they pile into their lost lands around Vladivostok ?
I think your conclusion is quite realistic - any civil disobedience around the eastern margins of Russia could give China it's green light to move in and 'stabilise the region in the interests of the safety of all local peoples ... and world peace'.
 


raymondo

Well-known member
Apr 26, 2017
6,187
Wiltshire
Also in their interests to see democracy in Ukraine fail, and see Russia take over the place and be a strong enemy to the West, hence China being on Russia's side until now.
Yes, it's very interesting politics and move from China - can't see how this is going to play out.
 








Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
22,109
Brighton
Yes, it's very interesting politics and move from China - can't see how this is going to play out.
World peace is difficult if the following happens:

1. Russia are eventually victorious with their annexation of areas of the Ukraine.

2. The Ukraine drive Russia out and are then fortified with NATO forces.

The third way is that The Ukraine becomes heavily influenced by China (similar to some African countries). The Chinese guarantee The Ukraine will never join NATO and pay the Russians to pull out. All three sides could try and play this as a victory. Whilst it would be seen as a defeat for Russia in most places, it’s possible that the Russian people could be brainwashed into thinking there was merit in this deal and that Putin had achieved a better outcome than before.
 






Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
7,397
Personally I don't think China has any interest in previously held Chinese lands now owned by Russia nor any lakes to it's north.

I think China wants Taiwan. And I think it's prepared to sell Russia out in order to win some diplomatic brownie points in pursuit of this goal
 


Eric the meek

Fiveways Wilf
NSC Patron
Aug 24, 2020
5,723
China has tried before to acquire the rights to water from Lake Baikal to supply Beijing, only for the locals to kick up a stink. Can well imagine that would be part of any negotiations between the two.
Thanks - I wasn't aware of that.

I googled 'does Beijing have a water supply problem' and found that it does.


 




raymondo

Well-known member
Apr 26, 2017
6,187
Wiltshire
World peace is difficult if the following happens:

1. Russia are eventually victorious with their annexation of areas of the Ukraine.

2. The Ukraine drive Russia out and are then fortified with NATO forces.

The third way is that The Ukraine becomes heavily influenced by China (similar to some African countries). The Chinese guarantee The Ukraine will never join NATO and pay the Russians to pull out. All three sides could try and play this as a victory. Whilst it would be seen as a defeat for Russia in most places, it’s possible that the Russian people could be brainwashed into thinking there was merit in this deal and that Putin had achieved a better outcome than before.
It's true there are a number of possible outomes, and difficult to predict
 


A1X

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 1, 2017
18,615
Deepest, darkest Sussex
Wow, I didn't see that coming.

What on earth has made them change their minds? They are blood brothers (or some other weird union thing) after-all.
China have no interest in backing a loser. It's now essentially clear that Russia cannot win this war through fair means, and even if they somehow do manage to turn the tide completely, re-establish the front foot and end up taking Kyiv and annexing Ukraine, they'll remain an international pariah state for generations to come.

Ultimately, China is only interested in two things; (1) global stability and (2) furthering Chinese interests. Neither of these are served by Russia carrying on as they are, and I suspect this was a message to Moscow along the lines of "you're done, lads, get out of this now or we'll find a way to get you out of it ourselves".
 


A1X

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 1, 2017
18,615
Deepest, darkest Sussex
In the fullness of time, I wonder if Russia will rue its costly suspicion of NATO, at the very time when the real existential threat to Russia, lies much further east.
Both Russia and the west / NATO are very guilty of still seeing the world in Cold War terms (I blame this on the current generation of politicians still largely cutting their teeth in that Cold War era, although obviously that's lessening with the passage of time). The west is slightly less thinking along those lines, largely through the international terrorist threat which meant the USA realised that it faced more threats than just the Russians, but is definitely still very guilty of thinking this way.

As you say, it means both took their eyes off the ball as China grew, and it has now essentially colonised huge swathes of sub-Saharan Africa (economically rather than in the traditional gunboat sense) and southeast Asia, while the US and Russia have battled over eastern Europe.

I've recommended it on this thread before but will do so again, "Prisoners of Geography" by Tim Marshall is excellent on how this stuff is playing out and why. It's a few years out of date now, but it's uncanny how well it plays out.
 


raymondo

Well-known member
Apr 26, 2017
6,187
Wiltshire
Has anyone seen reference to this 'China UN vote' on mainstream news yet? So far I've only seen it on two Ukrainian news feeds, and a quick trawl through the UN website has proved inconclusive for me.
 




raymondo

Well-known member
Apr 26, 2017
6,187
Wiltshire
Both Russia and the west / NATO are very guilty of still seeing the world in Cold War terms (I blame this on the current generation of politicians still largely cutting their teeth in that Cold War era, although obviously that's lessening with the passage of time). The west is slightly less thinking along those lines, largely through the international terrorist threat which meant the USA realised that it faced more threats than just the Russians, but is definitely still very guilty of thinking this way.

As you say, it means both took their eyes off the ball as China grew, and it has now essentially colonised huge swathes of sub-Saharan Africa (economically rather than in the traditional gunboat sense) and southeast Asia, while the US and Russia have battled over eastern Europe.

I've recommended it on this thread before but will do so again, "Prisoners of Geography" by Tim Marshall is excellent on how this stuff is playing out and why. It's a few years out of date now, but it's uncanny how well it plays out.
Thanks for the tip, I've just ordered the book👍
 
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Commander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
13,156
London
Has anyone seen reference to this 'China UN vote' on mainstream news yet? So far I've only seen it on two Ukrainian news feeds, and a quick trawl through the UN website has proved inconclusive for me.
Mad isn't it. It should be front page news on every outlet.
 


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