International security

Russia is forsaking the West and moving toward China

Russia’s three-year-old pivot, away from Europe and toward Beijing, isn’t some Kremlin bluff. Instead, it’s a real process, more visible in the regions than Moscow or St. Petersburg, and heralds the end of a quarter century where the country attempted to integrate into the Western fold. Needless to say, there are serious geopolitical implications here.

Luckily, being a journalist who isn’t intrinsically hostile to Russia, and tries to report and analyze the country fairly, has its upsides. Such as the ability to gain insight from insiders who understand real government thinking. Something completely denied to correspondents of North American and West European outlets in recent years. Thus, I’ve been taking advantage of this access over the past few weeks to get an idea of where Russia is headed in the medium to short term. And the answer is fairly clear: as close to China as possible.