Putin’s Miscalculated Machinations Serve Beijing’s Interests

The Kremlin’s military aggression in Ukraine is a tragic confluence of imperial ambition, deception and civilian casualty. However, it is also a poor signal to Russia’s senior partner – China – to stay away from the country’s Far East. As a former KGB operative, Vladimir Putin understands that maintaining the cohesiveness of such a naturally rich, diverse and vast Russia in the 21st century may come at a cost, again.