According to Russian analysts and leaders like Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Russia has turned to Asia because of Western sanctions and is making steady progress there in achieving its objectives (RT, June 11). However, such talk is entirely unfounded. If anything, Russian relations with Japan have worsened, and there is little sign that Moscow is being taken seriously in Southeast Asia as a truly Asian power. Meanwhile, as evidence of Russia falling into an ever greater one-sided dependence upon China continues to mount, Moscow struggles to preserve its independence as a serious Asian player in the face of Beijing’s expanding …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation
