RUSSIA GEOPOLITICALLY ON THE WRONG SIDE OF INDO PACIFIC SECURITY

Russia as an erstwhile Superpower  which aspires to re-emerge once again as an independent power center in global power-play as articulated by President Putin sometime back, is  on the wrong side geopolitically of Indo Pacific security template emerging in 2021.

In 2021 what one witnesses is an intense polarisation with Free World Democracies of the QUAD Maritime Security Imitative trying to coalesce in an informal grouping to stem the tide of an arrogant and military expansionist China flouting every international norm and UN Conventions like UNCLOS and its applicability to the South China Sea where China has notoriously distinguished itself by forcible occupation of Vietnam's and Philippines Islands. 

Russia with its stated ambitions to emerge as an 'independent power centre' in global geopolitics can hardly qualify itself or be recognised as such by Indo Pacific Region countries when they witness Russia ostensibly and actively on he side of China---much detested now globally.

Perceptionally, Russia should not be fearing any military threats in the Western Pacific from United States or US Allies like Japan and South Korea.

Perceptionally, Russia wishing to regain its earlier glory as a 'Responsible Stakeholder' in global security and peace should be seen and perceived as against any Power or a group of Powers acting in a hostile manner and impeding the principle of 'Free and Open & Safe Pacific'.

On the contrary, what one observes is that Russia has not condemned or restrained an aggressive Communist China in its predatory moves in the Western Pacific against Vietnam and the Philippines.

China is also attempting military coercion of Japan around the Senkaku Islands forgetting that the United States under Article V of the US-Japan Security Treaty is obliged to intervene against any Chinese attacks on Japanese Territory.

The United States has further cautioned China against any forcible military annexation of Taiwan.

So where dose all of the above leave Russia  should China by intended or unintended military provocations force the United States to enter into an armed conflict with China?

By all available indicators, strategic analyses would indicate that Russia would not like to be drawn into an armed conflict with the United States, and certainly not on the side of China.

Then why does Russia persist in fostering regional and global perceptions that it is with China and the mistaken belief that Russia is under-writing China's aggressive predatory moves in Western Pacific?

Russian compulsions seem to arise from the simple premise that a China under strategic pressure from the United States and seen without Russian backing would buckle and thereby upset the global balance of power contrived by the China-Russia Strategic Nexus, however tenuous

In the above line of thinking, misperceived strategically, Russia is losing out on past Strategic Partners like India and political understanding of a Power like Japan.

Needless to state that both India and Japan have emerged as  the 'Major Pillars' of the US-led Indo Pacific Security template and the QUAD which geopolitically signals to China that it will not have a free run of the Western Pacific or the Indian Ocean.

Russia take your pick!!!