“Death rattle” indeed! Putin has little chance of surviving; he has cut himself off from any honorable means of retreat from Ukraine.
China has much to lose and little to gain by supporting Putin’s misadventure. Better to quietly remain neutral, let Putin twist in the wind, and pick up the pieces when he inevitably falls. China also now has a better idea of the likely consequences of a unilateral military seizure of Taiwan.
Ralph, your prognosis makes a great deal of sense. If in fact Putin is the only irrational leader. Nothing about Ukraine makes sense for Russia. I have long observed and felt that China unlike North Korea, has used it's huge population to build an overwhelming economic power that would someday control the world without ever firing a shot. And why fire a shot? The Roman, Dutch and English empires, Alexander the Great, Napoleon and others used armies to build great economic power which failed when their land masses became too great to manage, and their armies and political oppression insufficient. China can, like a internet operating system, can run almost unnoticed in the background and control everything. Of course all leaders with power seem to grow big heads and lose their minds.
I have thought Russia/Putin is insane to throw away its international economic relations for its irrational war crimes aggression in Ukraine. Russia has always been the aggressor driving all former Soviet states toward ties with the west. Even Belarus is overrun with Russian military, losing its independence, even trying to be a friend to Russia.
Russia has always pushed itself on countries that don't want anything to do with it. Speaking for Poland, Duda said it well.
"We do not want to be in the Russian sphere of influence, we dragged ourselves out of it, and we don't want to go back there.
"I was born in a state not fully sovereign, or free. When someone talks about Russian socialism or communism, a shiver goes down my spine. Never again do we want to have Soviet soldiers here, do we want a Russian sphere of influence here. It would be contrary to our laws and this is destroying us as a nation. This is a destruction of our traditions" (From the Guardian Ukraine live feed.)
I am sure Duda's statement reflects the sentiment of other former USSR states, which were involuntary subjugated to Russia's "sphere of influence" during and after WWII.
What can Putin’s death rattle offer China compared to the goodwill of the world?
“Death rattle” indeed! Putin has little chance of surviving; he has cut himself off from any honorable means of retreat from Ukraine.
China has much to lose and little to gain by supporting Putin’s misadventure. Better to quietly remain neutral, let Putin twist in the wind, and pick up the pieces when he inevitably falls. China also now has a better idea of the likely consequences of a unilateral military seizure of Taiwan.
Ralph, your prognosis makes a great deal of sense. If in fact Putin is the only irrational leader. Nothing about Ukraine makes sense for Russia. I have long observed and felt that China unlike North Korea, has used it's huge population to build an overwhelming economic power that would someday control the world without ever firing a shot. And why fire a shot? The Roman, Dutch and English empires, Alexander the Great, Napoleon and others used armies to build great economic power which failed when their land masses became too great to manage, and their armies and political oppression insufficient. China can, like a internet operating system, can run almost unnoticed in the background and control everything. Of course all leaders with power seem to grow big heads and lose their minds.
The rumours of his death may be greatly overstated. 😉
He isn’t politically dead yet, but he sure is working in that direction.
I don’t see any way he gets out of this mess alive.
I have thought Russia/Putin is insane to throw away its international economic relations for its irrational war crimes aggression in Ukraine. Russia has always been the aggressor driving all former Soviet states toward ties with the west. Even Belarus is overrun with Russian military, losing its independence, even trying to be a friend to Russia.
Russia has always pushed itself on countries that don't want anything to do with it. Speaking for Poland, Duda said it well.
"We do not want to be in the Russian sphere of influence, we dragged ourselves out of it, and we don't want to go back there.
"I was born in a state not fully sovereign, or free. When someone talks about Russian socialism or communism, a shiver goes down my spine. Never again do we want to have Soviet soldiers here, do we want a Russian sphere of influence here. It would be contrary to our laws and this is destroying us as a nation. This is a destruction of our traditions" (From the Guardian Ukraine live feed.)
I am sure Duda's statement reflects the sentiment of other former USSR states, which were involuntary subjugated to Russia's "sphere of influence" during and after WWII.
Russian military entered Belarus to prop up its dictator Lukashenko when the populace was on the verge of driving him out.
Apparently a mega yacht.