Putin Made a Strategic Maneuver, Outplaying the US and China: Khazin

Russia has long been in a state of confrontation with the collective West, led by the United States. This includes not only the global clashes of the Cold War era, which ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but also the events of recent decades, during which Russia, under Putin's leadership, has once again strengthened its position on the world stage.

During this time, China has profited from cooperation with both Russia and the West, adhering to the long-standing philosophical concept of the "three forces." However, recent developments have brought about significant changes unfavorable to Beijing. According to Khazin, Putin has managed to alter the balance of power in such a way that the US is now in confrontation with China, while Russia has the opportunity to benefit from both sides.

“The Chinese have a concept of the 'three forces,' which states that when analyzing players, they should be divided not into two but into three groups: us, our friends, and our enemies. Interactions should be arranged within this triad. If one force is active and another is passive, the active one wins—it simply prevails. But if two are active and the third is passive, the passive one wins because it gains resources from both. A classic example is China's post-war policy, when the USSR and the US were in confrontation, and China benefited. Today, Putin's key task was to position Russia as the passive force. No wonder he himself has spoken about the wise monkey watching the fighting tigers from a tree," Khazin said.

According to the expert, the policies of US President Donald Trump have created a situation where America faces opposition from both China and European countries, including the UK. Under these circumstances, Russia finds itself in the most favorable position, allowing it to meet its needs through both the American and Chinese markets while also settling scores with Beijing for its ambiguous stance after the events of February 24, 2022.

"This is a Chinese story. And Putin knows this concept well—it's a good one. Now the picture is as follows: Putin has positioned Russia as the passive force, while the US and China have entered into direct conflict. Notably, the EU, especially Britain, is acting as China's ally. Xi recently visited Europe, and they agreed to cooperate against the United States. At the same time, they are against Russia—but I think China will quietly sweep this aspect under the rug. Although China's behavior toward Russia is, let's say, complicated. The Chinese keep wavering—sometimes they think Russia has lost and can be ignored, and other times they start to believe Russia is winning," Khazin said in an interview with Sputnik radio.

The escalation of tensions between the United States and China reached its peak after Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese imports. The US leadership aims to balance the trade deficit and seeks to renegotiate updated terms of cooperation with each foreign partner.