Putin Goes to China

The fog of war blankets Ukraine as Vladimir Putin’s forces level whole neighborhoods in a bid to overcome the Ukrainians’ brave resistance. But as the future of the conflict and on-off peace negotiations remain unclear, elements of the postwar political horizon are emerging. Here are five underreported stories.

1 Bear Hug

Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China was a diplomatic coup, detaching the Communist giant from Soviet Russia’s orbit, leaving America free to face a weakened Moscow.

Fifty years later, the Ukraine war has reversed that process. Putin’s Russia — already a junior partner in its alliance with Beijing — has irrevocably broken with the West and thrown in its lot with the Chinese.

Both the White House and European Union say they have evidence that China is considering supplying weapons to Russian, as well as backing the country economically as Western sanctions bite deep.

Whether China chooses to rearm the Russians or not, the reversion to Cold War alignments is complete.