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.

The unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces is the result of Vladimir Putin rushing to reestablish Russia’s domination over its periphery.