And is in keeping with a lot of Russian history.

Levelling a rival to the point of penury equal to your own--or lower, if possible--is usually better than the injustice of being poorer than your rival. If it hurts both of you, that's the price to pay to make sure he's not better off than you.

We are Putin's rival since "we" disgraced what he got his vicarious prestige from.

Clouding his perceptions are many factors. He's terrified of losing more territory. He's also got to worry that China might go all "Russian world" in its attitude--the number of illegal Chinese immigrants along the southern tier of Eastern Siberia is immense.

He also has bought, it would seem, into the Eurasian fantasy: A melding of both East and West, Russians are the natural choice to dominant both and link the two. For now, the West needs to be whipped into submission. China's turn will come. (But Russia's much more likely to be China's pawn than master. He's met a jingoism no less vitriolic and supremacist than his own.)

Igel

I think you are right - that Putin have its own ideas about what a honorable world is - he is a very russian man that way - and I guess he believed that he could just do Ukraine - without most protest from the West - as West are seen as week - and not able, or willing to fend for others - and even as Putin was able to do most of the plans he was doing - like occupy the eastern part of Ukraine - where most of the industry in Ukraine are - and was one of biggest industry sectors in the whole of Soviet Union back in the days - The Donets area - is known for its industry - and its great rivers - who is making transport so easy - and have been doing for millimenias...

The greatest problem is Putin himself - he want to turn back the clock more than 30 years - he want to turn back the clock - to before 1991 - he want to rebuild the old Soviet Union - not by old communist ideals - but by nationalistic ideals - the Old - eternal Russia - who is rebuild itself - to its old glory.... The plans of conquering Ukraine - is just the stepping stone for Putin - he want, and have being doing for some years now - to rebuild some of the former Soviet Union - like linking the former Asian republics to Russia - and even if they formally is in-depended states - they will do as Kremlin want them to do - and be part of a larger economical and political union - where Russia - and Kremlin have the last say about how things are being doing - Putin had a "power-talk" to some of the governments and head of states a few years ago - and stated it rather clearly what it was about - even if most of it was never revealed to the world - some of it was revealed - and that is tacky enough if you ask me...

Putin is a leader who also want to turn back the time in its european parts of Russia - he want to undo the unjust (seeing from Russia's point of view) who started in 1989, when the Berlin Wall was been teared down - and then as the breakup of the Soviet Union proceeded - end the in-security that many russians have been feeling - the 1990s was rather harsh on the russians - going from been part of a Super-power - feared and respected all over the world - a first line power in the matter of things - to a mar 2 grade state - maybe even a 3th grade state - who was on the brink of a civil war - in the mid 1990s - specially the years 1993-94 was rather volatile in Russia - who in some of the City's almost ended in hunger... and many in Europe - specially in NATO feared in reality that parts of Russia could break apart - with the consequences for war that could be.... Millions of Russians was deeply hurt by the inaction - or not action at all from the experiences of shock-therapy and rampant corruption who exploded after 1991... Not as it was no corruption in the Soviet Union before the breakup - but after..... Everything kind of exploded as it was no rule of law at all..

Putin might ha won a few points back in his own turf by playing hard in Ukraine - he have a approval rating who most leaders in the west would envy - 89 percent in all - but he have not been able to use the points in the larger world - specially when it come to show off Russia as a State to reckon with - the fact that Putin had to resold to telling the world - that Russia have nuclear weapons - and the will to use it - tell a lot about how insecure Russia are - and how military weak Russia is - as Russia traditionally are not blustering around with nuclear weapons... In fact Russia tend to be rather low key when it come to its nuclear weapons - but not under Putin - he show his hands - and is using it to make fear... Insecurity about what he really want to do next

And now he have going in bed with China - a Country who Russia have had a long and rather difficult experience with - specially as Russia and China have been figging over the same territory for a few centuries - specially the southern tier of Eastern Siberia - who once was part of the Chinese Empire - but who was lost to Russia in 1890s - after a war where China was defeated by moder weapons - a decade or so after - another state - the Empire of Japan beat Russia in the war of 1905 - even if was not so important in the long run - Russia managed to keep its territory in the far east - and was then engulfed it its own civil war when the government broke down in 1917 - first in mars and then in october..

And as you point out - he might have been able to think himself in to believing that Russia's energy - and the knowhow of PRC would make Eurasia - and for the mater Beijing and Moscow the masters of the world - with the periphery in Europa and America - both Russia and PRC have some great ideals about them self - where it want to be in the center of the universe - where the rest are doing their biddings - specially PRC itself have grown into the idea of a superpower role - in the pacific - and possible elsewhere also if they are able... China have from old times - been the middle kingdom - where the rest of the world turn around - and even if we in the west might not understand China to Mitch (I doubt no one who have not studied China deeply over many years, really understand that country) the leadership of PRC do have a keen interest in history - specially their predecessors climb to power - when the old regime broke down - who in time had been climbing to power - on top of a other ancient regime and so one all the back to 5000 BC...


My personal view is that Putin have some grand ideas of Russia - maybe even some Napoleon complex - at least he have some really great ambitions about Russia as one of the supreme States in Europe - and the world - even if Russia have to stumble on other smaller nations - like some of the former parts of Soviet Union - and the former eastern block who Russia was the supreme leader of... He have already bullied Romania - Bulgaria, Poland - and Hungary by cutting of the natural gas they are using during winter - and hiked the prizes rather unnatural for the rest - as a point for punishing the states who had stood up to him the last summer - and for many reasons - some of the states who as once a part of the soviet union - like the baltic states - have expressed rather clearly that they are concerned with Putin's Russia - and that they feared he could use the russian minority as a breaking point for doing more than cut off the natural gas who is needed in the winter... Most of the Baltic states have had a rather unpleasant experience with Russia over the last century - twice been occupied - and rather hoarsely treated as a occupied population - and its culture and traditions repressed.... Not that the baltic states have been to polite with russia the last century either....

As an european I am not sure what to put out of Russia today - I suspect Putin are on a quest - to rebuild - and to make Russia once again a powerfully player in European affairs - even if it is will cost Russia more than it is worth in the long run... many russians have a dobble side idea of Europe and the West - at one level they want to be part of Europe - and be respected as such - as they belive they are a natural part of Europe - but on the other hand they fear Europe - and its culturally impact as dangerous to the "soul of Russia" as sutch...

Diclotican

Purveyor

China and Russia have a long - and difficult history between them - sometimes they have going on rather wel - other times they tend to be rivals - or outright enemies who have the habit on shooting at each others - sometimes even wage border wars between them....

I have the feeling - from the little I do know about economic - that it stings not been able doing business as usual with the west - and it is more because of desperate means - than cosing up to PRC that Russia today is doing - I believe - from what I do know - that Putin's ambitions - about building up Russia as a great power - economical - political and military is hitting a brick wall - the achilles heal for Russia it is economy - mostly because Russia of today - have a lower industry-output than it had back in 1989 - and its economy is based largely on selling natural gas - oil - and minerals - who PRC crave for everything in the world - its population need all the energy all the resources the government can get its hands on - and Russia have it in abundance. If the rumors is true - it exist minerals and other resources in Siberia alone worth billions of dollars on the open market - and the only problems is getting it up from the ground - and to other nations to be sold....

Russia have since 2000 when Putin came into power - had the benefit of high prices on natural minerals and energy - and have made possible for a rather impressive buildup of a middle class in Russia - and more billions in Moscow than in London or New York City - but it is made possible by corruption - and personal friendship with the current President - A former officer in KGB - the secret State police. And if was not for the fact that USSR broke down in 1991 - he might be a general in KGB by now - maybe even the chairman of the whole thing - and a dangerous man to cross in the KGB.... He is still a dangerous man to cross - some of his enemies have discovered that to their disappear - the lucky ones have managed to grab enough money to live a comfortable life abroad - London have been the playground for a while now, Paris too - and New York to some degree... The more unhappy ones - ended up in prison - or killed by thugs who possible was linked to FSB the former 1 directorate of KGB... Not as powerfully as the old - but dangerous if its leaders want to use them....

Diclotican

Greater China and Ukraine will be having border disputes in the future.