Like a rat backed into a corner, the cowardice of Vladimir Putin has forced him into a meeting with the leader of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping. 

China has a quenching lust for oil to power their newfound giga-economy and Russia became their number one supplier of petroleum, eclipsing Saudi Arabia in 2022. 

China and Russia are becoming codependent on each other. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) placing sanctions on Russia, supplying Ukraine with equipment, and the addition of several European countries into their faction .Finland and Sweden officially joined and Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine are looking to become members.

The growing power of NATO puts Putin into a sticky situation. An alliance with the rising super power, China, is favorable for Putin in attempting to dissuade NATO from continuing to intervene in his invasion of Ukraine. 

The war in Ukraine has lasted since February 2022 and has continued into March of 2023. It has resulted in the deaths of thousands and the razing of eastern Ukraine. The destruction has pushed families out of their homes, taken the lives of innocent civilians, and forced men from their families to fight the Russian menace. 

An alliance between China and Russia would greatly increase the threat they pose. China may feel more comfortable with invading Taiwan, whom the United States protects. In the event of war between China and Taiwan the chances of world war three sparking greatly spikes. 

NATO has placed embargoes on Russia to trash their economy and dissuade them from continuing their destructive and unjust war, but their economy has begun to rebound. Putin also has the benefit of majority support from his people. 

The Week reports that an approximate 80% of Russian citizens support the war effort but these numbers are likely inflated by the totalitarian Russian government to some degree. 

If an alliance between Russia and China emerges the threat to the free world grows but doesn’t necessarily equate to immediate or future conflict.