Ukraine Always Get What You Want

China has already completely outmaneuvered the West in Africa, so their global strategic thinking is very sharp.

That said, they've been wary of Russia since 1948, and I think that will change only slowly. Especially if Putin destabilizes the world economy, irrespective of any new pipeline deals. In fact, Xi might be playing Putin for a sucker.

China takes Taiwan? They've had plenty of time to do it since Chiang Kai-Shek fled, but haven't.

 

DEJOOOOOOOOOOOOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm not an expert in these matters, but here's why I don't see China cutting off the U.S. as a trading partner.
In the short term, it would hurt the U.S. economy because we couldn't get cheaply-made junk at Walmart.
In the long term, it would hurt China far more because we'd resume making that junk here.

 

I'm going to worry more about the Russians when they get their Kyiv convoy to move more than a mile in three days without breaking down.

Call me naive, but two weeks into the war, they have been about as effective as Wile E. Coyote.

 

Wait until they get bogged-down in literal mud. Military history is replete with those tales. Does not often go well for the aggressor.

 

Forced to "fight" *cough* in the invasion...

 

China might not be too keen on Russia hedging in on its own plans in Eastern Europe, either. One of the under-reported stories of recent years is on China's Belt and Road Initiative, where they have been investing heavily in infrastructure in various countries (mostly Europe and Africa) and then can wield a very large economic hammer over them.
One of the examples I saw was where the Chinese government was contracted to build a highway across Montenegro, and the project wound up bankrupting Montenegro's government. The Chinese then, can call in the marker and own Montenegro if they want, or just use the threat of it to have a puppet state in Europe.
Another example was a Chinese state-owned company that bought the companies that run the operations at a number of Europe's largest ports. Now they can, in theory, blackmail those countries to get them to do their bidding by controlling the ports and what comes in and out of the country.
Gotta imagine the current Russian ambitions are messing with some of these Chinese ambitions on some level.

 

Maybe. But Putin's been plotting this for 15 years. I think there are some moves being done over here for show so that the REAL moves can be done over there, there, and THERE.

 

Putin is slowrolling it certainly, but still killing plenty of people. And a million more have already fled the country.

He's likely waiting to see what anyone is willing to do to stop him.

He'll dial this up by degrees until he gets what he wants, whatever it is.

 

This plea from Zelensky is heartbreaking, and I think he's right. I don't think we should just stand and watch this. Putin needs to be stopped. He's committed war crimes. It's time to go after him, and, as Zelensky asks, establish a no-fly zone.

Zelensky: 'The end of the world has arrived'