According to a report by Russia's RT on October 16, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov clearly stated in an interview with "Kommersant" that Moscow would never form an alliance with any country to oppose another, especially not China.

When asked whether it was possible to cooperate with the United States to pressure China into joining nuclear disarmament negotiations, Lavrov unequivocally rejected the idea, calling it unimaginable.

He further emphasized that cooperation between China and Russia is based on legal treaties, with clear goals of mutual support, assistance, and strengthening economic, defense, and international status.

This statement shattered the last hope for Trump's fantasy of using Russia to counter China, directly refuting the so-called theory of Sino-Russian rifts.

In fact, regardless of institutional commitments, real interests, or strategic judgment, Russia has already seen China as an irreplaceable long-term partner. Faced with the olive branch from the U.S., Russia has directly refused it.

Lavrov

It can be seen that after returning to the White House, Trump has been trying to reshape America's geopolitical strategy, with the goal of aligning with Russia to counter China being one important direction.

On one hand, he continues to see China as the top strategic competitor, intensifying restrictions in areas such as trade, technology, and security; on the other hand, he tries to attract Russia, attempting to make Moscow turn away from Beijing.

This approach is known as the "anti-Nixon strategy" — in the past, the United States changed the Cold War dynamics by aligning with China to counter the Soviet Union. Now, Trump seeks to replicate this logic, using Russia as a pawn to balance China in the Sino-American rivalry.

A series of actions, including proposing a trilateral U.S.-China-Russia arms control negotiation, giving space to Russia on the Ukraine issue, and advocating an unyielding economic war against China, reflect this strategic vision.

The logic of the Trump team is that due to Western sanctions, Russia is isolated and may strategically shift its position between isolation and dependence. If given sufficient incentives, Russia might distance itself from China and conspire with the U.S. to balance it.

Putin and Trump

However, this strategy encountered complete failure in practice.

The reason is that the cooperation between China and Russia goes beyond the tactical level and has become a systematic, structural strategic partnership.

Moreover, both China and Russia deeply interact within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS. The existence of these strategic platforms makes any unilateral provocation ineffective.

More importantly, the U.S. cannot and is unwilling to offer real incentives that could impress Russia — lifting sanctions, recognizing Crimea, or accepting a Russian-style security architecture all conflict with Western principles. Trump tried, but failed to do so.

Although Trump publicly emphasized his intentions, his efforts to win over Russia lacked sincerity and practical feasibility.

In this context, the idea of aligning with Russia to counter China could not be implemented as a practical strategic plan.

The U.S. attempts to disrupt Sino-Russian relations

Facts have proven that the Russian side is very clear-minded. The U.S. does not genuinely accept Russia, but instead wants to use Russia to contain China, while weakening the strength of the Sino-Russian partnership.

If Russia were to side with the U.S., it would inevitably lose China, its largest market and most stable partner, but it is unlikely to gain genuine goodwill from the U.S.

History has already shown that the U.S.'s so-called acceptance of Russia is often just a temporary compromise, followed by more intense suppression.

From NATO's repeated eastward expansion to extreme pressure on the Ukraine issue, Russia has suffered enough from being exploited.

This time, Russia did not make the same mistake again.

It understands the strategic benefits brought by the Sino-Russian relationship — from economic alternatives, to international voice, to the security buffer against Western sanctions — which the U.S. cannot and will not provide.

Instead of becoming a tool for the U.S., it is better to stand shoulder to shoulder with China to maintain a multipolar order and jointly resist Western pressure.

Lavrov's statement indicates that Russia will no longer be a pawn. It prefers to be a strategist, choosing the most favorable position in the Sino-U.S.-Russia triangle rather than being considered a follower of the U.S.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562040398353285667/

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