U.S. Tensions With Russia And China Will Impact Israel

How US tensions with Russia and China could impact Israel

SETH J. FRANTZMAN 

The US is in the midst of growing tensions with both Russia and China, there are two countries that US national defense strategy sees as “near-peer” rivals in the world. 

In a sense, the US has created a self-fulfilling prophecy in this regard, putting in place openly a national strategy that views these countries as a global problem, and then ending up in a problem with them. 

Recently revealed documents revealed that US concerns date back to 2018, when the Pentagon said “China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while militarizing features in the South China Sea. Russia has violated the borders of nearby nations and pursues veto  power over the economic, diplomatic, and security decisions of its neighbors.” 

This is threatening the global order, the US claims.  

Now, the new US administration is making good on promises to be tough on Moscow and Beijing. US President Joe Biden slammed Russia’s President last week.

China, Russia, Iran and Turkey are working in concert increasingly to try to undermine the US wherever the US has influence. They work in different ways. 

China is building up a massive navy that can challenge the US in the Pacific. It is also sponging up connections to traditional US partners in the Middle East. The US is concerned about China’s investments across the region and in Africa and South America and Europe.

It appears that countries like Germany are moving close to the China-Russia orbit and are tired of US lectures about things like Nord Stream. All China and Russia have to do in these areas is pry away a few deals, not supplant the US. 

A port here and a pipeline there are how Russia and China are slowly pushing the US back. They know the US has huge infrastructure problems at home and that the ripple affects of the pandemic continue to cause chaos in the West.

Iran and Turkey are riding this global exhaustion with US hegemony. They also want to invade states in the Middle East and supplant US allies, partners and influence. Both are active in Africa as well. They want increased rail and highway links with Russia and China.  

The larger picture is that that these tensions affect Israel.

More...