by Peter Zeihan on March 28, 2023

Russia has long operated under the guise of “strategic partnerships” to keep its enemies within striking distance. Putin and Xi’s partnership is no different. However, only time will tell who will end up with the knife in their back.

For both sides, this is an alliance of convenience enabling them to get around some sanctions brought on by the war in Ukraine. But the Chinese might be looking to gain a little more from this relationship. Xi’s recent meeting with the leaders from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan is indicative that a move on the Russian space could be in the cards.

One of Putin’s motivations for the war in Ukraine is to take control of the geographic access points used to launch assaults against the Russians. Can you guess where one of those access points just so happens to be? The Altai Gap…which connects Russia, Kazakhstan, and you guessed it, China.

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