Charles Krauthammer's prediction's in Tomorrow's Threat start an interesting line of thought:
The quiescence with which Russia accepted the Soviet collapse may have run its course. Russia's helplessness at the loss of Ukraine followed a long string of humiliating losses: first the external Third World empire, then the outer Eastern European empire, then the inner empire of 14 Soviet republics.
Add to this NATO's attack on Serbia, Russia's traditional Balkan ally, and the expansion of NATO into the Baltic states. Vladimir Putin's Russia, already moving decisively back to traditional czarist authoritarianism, then suffered political defeat in Ukraine, which it considered its natural patrimony. This only compounds and embitters the feeling of alienation from the West in general and from the United States in particular.
It is no accident that Russia has begun hinting at making common cause with China. This is potentially ominous because of China's rising power and its status as the leading have-not nation on the planet, the Germany of the 21st century. In December, during the week of the rerun Ukrainian election that finally brought the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko to power, Russia made two significant moves toward China. First was the announcement of intensified economic cooperation in developing Russia's vast energy resources. More ominous was the Russian defense minister's Dec. 27 announcement of, "for the first time in history," large joint military exercises on Chinese territory.
Indeed, Russia and China are working together on more than just "joint maneuvers."
Crosswalk
Russia has indicated that it may sell advanced weaponry to China, including strategic bombers that could pose a threat to U.S. aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
With China and Russia preparing to hold joint military maneuvers later this year, a top Russian military officer mentioned the possibility of selling strategic supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers, known by NATO as "Backfire," to China.
"If they've got enough money, they should buy some" of Russia's latest aircraft, Russian Air Force commander Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov said, referring to the Chinese.
In the past, Russia has refused to sell the bombers to China on the grounds that they are "too powerful." Mikhailov's statement suggested a change in Russia's position, the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency said.
[...]
Russia and China have been proposing a "strategic partnership" intended to counter U.S. domination in global affairs.
The Russia-China connection makes this, from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, look even worse:
Russia, Syria work super-weapons deal
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is planning his first state visit to Russia next week and he goes with a long shopping list of cooperation agreements and arms deals. The visit comes at a time when Russia is embarking on a plan to expand its political influence and once again become a key player in Middle Eastern affairs, according to the report by Yoram East in the premium, weekly intelligence newsletter published by WND.Topping the Syrian shopping list are upgrades of packages for existing equipment, including hundreds of artillery and ballistic missiles. Next is the purchase of at least 18 units of the SS-26 surface-to-surface missiles, also known as Iskander-E.
The problem with Russia's dealings with Syria is multi-faceted. The fact that Russia is trying to bolster their influence with rabid anti-American states is bad enough, that they are doing it by offering, or at least threatening to offer, secret Israeli technology to Israel's enemies, sends a definite message to the Middle East: we are willing to double-cross the United States' most stalwart allies - call us if you need us.
In addition:
One report reveals the Russians had offered similar proposals to the Iranians and by doing so were blatantly breaching one by one understandings and agreements achieved with Israel over the past five years. This distressing development has an immediate effect on Israel's military ties with India, the emerging giant whose military industry is linked both to Israel and Russia.
A number of joint Russian-Indian-Israeli projects are currently underway with more planned to come in the near future. They are all based on the understanding Israeli components, technology and know-how, will not be included in any weapons' agreements between Russia and the Arab world, especially with Syria.
Add the fact that Russia is working so many fronts a once - China, the Middle East, and as Mr. Krauthammer puts it, "add such various self-styled, anti-imperialist flotsam as Syria, North Korea, Cuba and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela" - to Putin's sudden lurch toward old-style soviet government, and you'll see that there is something we're going to have to keep our eyes on.
