Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attendance at the China-hosted Belt and Road Forum – Putin’s first significant trip abroad since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest – demonstrates the Russia-China “no limits” relationship is not only strong, but that Moscow is increasingly Beijing’s junior partner. Together, Russia and China are the most significant threat to the United States. Washington should leverage China’s internal politics, national interests, and nationalist ideology to weaken the Moscow-Beijing relationship and prevent an even greater threat from emerging.
