China and Russia are achieving the opposite of their intended goal through their opposition to the West: they are strengthening the West, rallying it, and making more people want to join it, because 'all power's relative' and if Russia and China hit a wall, the West's problems matter less by comparison.

causalpending

Speaker

Stephen Kotkin

Evidence Quote

they're achieving the exact opposite, the perverse and unintended consequences. They're strengthening the West, rallying the West...Remember, Russia and China all power's relative.

Source

Stephen Kotkin: Russia’s Murky Future | Foreign Affairs InterviewForeign Affairs
Created: 8/12/2026, 10:22:55 PM

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