CIA Chief Says Ukraine War Turned Russia Into China's Economic Vassal
Category: News & Politics
Via: jbb • 8 months ago • 7 commentsBy: Kwan Wei Kevin Tan (Business Insider)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Kwan Wei Kevin Tan 2024-01-31
- The Russia-Ukraine war has dealt multiple setbacks to Vladimir Putin, the director of the CIA says.
- William J. Burns said in an op-ed that the war had "proved foolish and illusory" for Putin.
- The invasion, Burns said, had weakened Russia's military and economy.
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Russia's invasion of Ukraine has crippled its economy and left it beholden to China, says William J. Burns, the director of the CIA.
"Russia's economy is suffering long-term setbacks, and the country is sealing its fate as China's economic vassal," Burns wrote in an opinion article for Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
Russia has been struggling under the West's crippling economic sanctions ever since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But the ties between Russia and China have only deepened, with bilateral trade reaching a record $240 billion in 2023, Chinese customs data showed.
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"Putin's war has already been a failure for Russia on many levels," Burns wrote in his article. "His original goal of seizing Kyiv and subjugating Ukraine proved foolish and illusory."
The Ukraine war, he said, had dealt "immense damage" to Russia's military.
"At least 315,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded, two-thirds of Russia's prewar tank inventory has been destroyed, and Putin's vaunted decadeslong military modernization program has been hollowed out," Burns wrote.
Russia's military and economic setbacks have also seen it turn to countries such as North Korea and Iran for munitions.
"Putin's overblown ambitions have backfired in another way, too: they have prompted NATO to grow larger and stronger," Burns wrote.
The military alliance has seen its ranks grow in the past year, with Finland joining in April. Sweden's application for NATO membership has received the endorsement of all members except Hungary.
Burns' withering assessment of Putin and Russia was echoed by the UK defense secretary, Grant Shapps, earlier this month.
"The world has turned its back on Russia, forcing Putin into the humiliation of going cap in hand to North Korea to keep his illegal invasion going," Grant Shapps wrote in an X post on January 5.
Representatives for Burns didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.
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More mouths for the US to feed. As Germany has so aptly demonstrated NATO countries are not even equipped to defend themselves- much the less help the US out in any real war.
From the article: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has crippled its economy and left it beholden to China, says William J. Burns, the director of the CIA."
Does that mean Russia has turned into the United States? Hasn't that been the goal of neoliberal policy makers since Ronald Reagan sat behind the Resolute desk?
“Does that mean Russia has turned into the United States?”
Russia is under the thumb of an authoritarian thug, where elections mean nothing. Only if we ignore those lessons do we stoop to the same. Neoliberal? More like Neofascist.
That's right...
Just like the former 'president' wants to be - just like putin - a dictator/thug/neo-fascist for life.
If China can't buy all Russian oil this is what happens, '
Exclusive: Russia struggles to sell Pacific oil, 14 tankers stuck
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/russia-struggles-sell-pacific-oil-14-tankers-stuck-sources-data-2024-01-26/#:~:text=More%20than%20a%20dozen%20tankers,two%20traders%20and%20shipping%20data.