Russia, China are on the brink of military alliance, spelling trouble for a very distracted United States

WASHINGTON, DC- The military branches in the United States have tried a number of tactics to boost sagging recruitment numbers–hefty bonuses, more progressive and looser enlistment requirements, and innovative pre-boot camp programs, Military.com reports.

Despite that, only two out of three branches–the Marine Corps and Space Force met their recruiting goals for 2023. Apparently, woke commercials of Army members having two mommies have proven ineffective. 

All of this comes at a time when Russia has been engaged in battle with Ukraine, Israel is now engaged with Hamas and Hezbollah, there is unrest in parts of South America, and China’s appetite for Taiwan remains unabated. Frankly, it remains to be seen that the United States could sustain a one-front war, let alone two or more. 

Business Insider issued a chilling report this weekend about the ambitions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to topple the United States from the top of the food chain where it concerns military might. Both authoritarian leaders are, analysts say, seeking to exploit the global turmoil to damage the United States and our allies. They also warn the two countries are closer to forming a military alliance than they previously were, posing a threat to the US that hasn’t been seen in decades. The Biden administration may think “radical” MAGA Republicans pose the most existential threat to the United States, but they may want to refocus their attention. 

Jonathan Ward, CEO of the Atlas Group, says, “It is clear that the two states [Russia and China] see themselves as military partners and that this partnership is growing deeper and more experienced, even if it is not a formal alliance in the Western sense.” Atlas Group is a strategic advisor on US-China global competition, and Ward is deemed an expert on the Chinese global strategy.

Business Insider notes that China has provided Russia with various measures of support in its current war with Ukraine, providing economic and diplomatic support. Meanwhile, the United States has funneled billions in aid to Ukraine. 

Both communist countries have also aligned themselves with Iran, forming, in the words of the late President Ronald Reagan, an “Axis of Evil.” Both countries have condemned Israel’s response to the October 7 massacre of Israeli citizens by Hamas goons, while the United States has stood behind our number one ally in the Middle East, Israel, providing military aid and some might argue “tepid” diplomatic support. 

Experts believe China is closely watching the situation in Ukraine to determine what the world’s response might be if or when it decides to target Taiwan. Russia and China also appear to be aligning their military resources. 

“The Russia-China ‘comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era’ has always been about military power,” said Ward. 

The two nations have collaborated on joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan; Russia has also provided China with submarine technology that could give it an upper hand in a war with U.S. allies in the Pacific; finally, both nations have agreed to cooperate on high tech weapons development, Putin pledged in November. Both countries appear to be further along in the development of hypersonic missiles, which some experts define as “aircraft carrier killers.” Others downplay the threat, including Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson. 

“Rather than talking about the vulnerability of the aircraft carrier–we should think about it as perhaps the most survivable airfield in the region,” he said at a Brookings Institution event when asked about hypersonic missiles. 

In addition to hypersonic missile development, Russia has sold Su-25 jets, MI-17 helicopters, and S-400 air defense systems to China, Business Insider noted. 

Despite Putin and Xi not signing a formal military alliance, the possibility of them doing so should be a significant concern to the United States and our allies, according to Chels Michta in a recent article for the Center for European Policy Analysis. 

“A full-scale China-Russia alliance would present the United States with a threat unlike any it has confronted since the end of the Cold War,” writes Michta, a Military Intelligence officer serving in the United States Army. 

The Cold War presented a different set of challenges than what the US currently faces, asserting the US could fight one major war and two smaller wars simultaneously. Now, the Pentagon has changed that focus to fighting one major war while deterring other attacks. 

While the Biden administration may be sleepwalking through the threat while pushing proper pronouns, changing names of military bases, and hosting drag queen shows on military installations, Congress seems to be aware of what is going on. Note the difference between recruiting commercials in Russia vs the United States:

In October, the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States wrote that the US faces threats “fundamentally different [to] anything experienced in the past, even in the darkest days of the Cold War” due to the simultaneous rises of Russia and China. The Commission urges the Pentagon to change its plans to prepare for simultaneous wars with both powers. 

“The Russia-China axis poses an enormous threat to the United States given that we will have to handle security in both Europe and Asia, as well as in the Middle East, with the risk of being stretched thin while Beijing and Moscow coordinate to pursue their respective regional ambitions,” said Ward. 

Still, some experts dismiss the long-term viability of an alliance between Russia and China due to longstanding tensions between the two powers and China’s reliance on lucrative Western trading partners for its products. 

Still, other experts say an alliance between the two nations is something the United States needs to prepare for. 

Ward said that global alliances held by the US are essential for our country’s ability to offset the threats posed by China, Russia, and others. He said countries in that alliance need to do their part and boost their military capacity instead of relying solely on the US for their defense. 

“The United States can still handle both threats, but this will require substantial increases in burden sharing, especially among European allies who have now seen the true consequences of the Russia-China geopolitical ‘coordination’ since the invasion of Ukraine,” Ward said. 

That was a complaint lodged by former President Trump, who believed that US allies in NATO were not paying their fair share and who pressured them to pony up. That led the former president to claim that NATO allies had contributed billions more to their defense but wanted them to pay more. At the time, Trump specifically called out Germany for not paying more. 

With China and Russia threatening, it is time for our European allies to step up their game. With the US economy teetering on the brink and trillions in debt, the well may be going dry.