Any U.S. attempt to align with Russia to counterbalance China lacks the geopolitical, economic, and strategic foundation necessary for success.
By: Jianli Yang
February 21, 2025
The Trump administration’s apparent alignment with Moscow in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has fueled speculation that President Donald Trump may be pursuing a “reverse Kissinger” strategy. But the idea of a “reverse Kissinger” – aligning the United States with Russia to counterbalance China – is fundamentally flawed and lacks the geopolitical, economic, and strategic foundation necessary for success. While the Trump administration’s pivot toward Russia may appear to echo Nixon’s Cold War triangular diplomacy, the international context today is vastly different, rendering such a strategy impractical and counterproductive.
One of the most glaring obstacles to a “reverse Kissinger” approach is the robust partnership between China and Russia. Unlike the Sino-Soviet split of the 1970s that Nixon exploited, contemporary Sino-Russian relations are characterized by strategic alignment. The two nations have declared their friendship to be “without limits,” as evidenced by their joint statements and mutual support on key geopolitical issues. For instance, Russia has consistently backed China’s stance on Taiwan, while China has provided material and diplomatic support to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. This level of cooperation demonstrates a shared vision for resisting Western dominance and undermines any possibility of driving a wedge between them… [Continue Reading]
Source: https://thediplomat.com/2025/02/the-myth-of-a-reverse-kissinger-why-aligning-with-russia-to-counter-china-is-a-strategic-illusion/