Donald Trump's friendliness with Russia's President Vladimir Putin has mystified Western observers. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Atif Kubursi, Asia Times: Trump-Putin friendship could be all about oil and China
The US President's 'end game' could be to drive a wedge between Russia and China with a 'deal' to push up the price of crude.
The Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin meeting in Helsinki earlier this summer has sparked an intense debate about the details of the discussions between the leaders of the two superpowers. There is little known about these discussions, and the agreements reached remain shrouded in secrecy.
This has fed speculative frenzy about the possibility of Putin controlling the president of the United States.
Some members of the US intelligence community have contributed to the frenzy by suggesting that the Russians may have something on Trump that compromises American national security.
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WNU Editor: It would not surprise me if there has been discussions in Washington and in Moscow on how the rise of China may impact their economies, foreign relations, and security concerns. As to whether both countries are talking together on what to do about China is something that is just speculation. But if Trump-Putin are talking about China .... and they want to stop and/or curtail its rise, their focus will be on oil. Oil is China's Achilles Heel. If the price for oil goes up, China will be the big loser.
There absolutely should be. The Russians should be our natural allies against the rising Chinese. It's unfortunate that the anti Trump people and much of the media and establishment are demonizing them to hurt the pres.
ReplyDeleteThe US triangulating Russia against China is well established diplomacy. The US used China in the 1970's to tilt world power against the Soviet Union for instance. It's not a hair brained idea after all should the US be so diminished as to be a second rate power, Moscow would face Beijing all alone. A horrifying prospect I'd think for Putin's strategists. Siberia is demographically going Chinese over the next few decades unless the trend line is interrupted.
ReplyDeleteNow I see no prospect for the US to put meaningful distance between Moscow and Beijing.
After perusing the atimes story, I must say the writer is ignorant of basic facts but has a vivid imagination enabling him to construct a nice fairy tale.
ReplyDeleteRussia and China are not our friends. to say, imply otherwise is either plain foolish or a demonstration that you troll for pay
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of an old Prediction, I think from Nostradamus. The Bear and the Eagle are supposed to come together and defeat the Snake.
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteI guess the snake is China, the bear is Russia, and the US is the eagle. While I have not spent much time on Nostradamus (maybe 5 minutes in my life), I have learned not reject something out of hand simply because it seems bizarre or does not fit our preconceived notions without a close examination of the facts at hand.
There is an overlap of common interests between Russia and the US. It would make much more sense to cooperate. Unfortunately the current problems we have with Russia exist because many times the US government went out of its way to provoke conflict when it wasn't necessary. The US does have a massive trade imbalance and an economic relationship based upon exploitation of America that cannot continue and will need to be renegotiated on terms that are equitable to America. Such a change will not bankrupt China. It would actually make all more prosperous in the long term. It's a pity the Chinese can't see this. So much for the idea that they are brilliant and focused on the long term. On the other hand, we are going to need their help in areas like North Korea. Our relationship with them is very complicated.
Our Russian friends are on board, comrade BPoster indicated as much.
DeleteDa,da, vodka share with me, dearest comrade brother. afterwards we shall sing songs and drink tea out of tiny glasses, daaaaa :)
I never said the Russians are "on board." Please try reading the posts before commenting. What I have stated is we will need more cooperative relationships with major world powers of which Russia is one. Many Americans feel this way.
ReplyDelete"Comrade" is an old term dating back to the Soviet Union and Communism. The Soviet Union is dead, gone, and is never coming back. The same can essentially be said about Communism as a major influence in Russian politics. If you are going to insult me, please try and have at least a cursory knowledge of how the world actually works today. Actually I think insults are all you have because you have no real argument or points to make.
Now if you want to go fight Russians I would suggest going to Ukraine. They love their American cannon fodder there. Poland would probably take you. Who knows they might even sing songs about your heroism someday.
ReplyDeleteI.5 billion or so yellow peril members and a looong southeastern border for Mr. Putin's less than 200 million subjects.
It doesn't look good, general Custer. Doesn't look good.
Going back to WNU Editor's own comment, I would just observe that if the price of oil goes up, China will be the big loser but Russia will be the big winner. Depending on one's view of Russia, that will be seen as a good or a bad thing...but what is certain is that it will produce it's own strategic effects. As Kissinger likes to say, a solution to one problem is invariably an admission ticket to another problem.
ReplyDelete