'Very bad optics for Kremlin': Putin's China visit regarded as 'crisis & relations management trip'

Delano D'Souza is pleased to welcome Dr. Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Latvian Institute of International Affairs. She argues that “whichever way you slice it, this is very bad optics for the Kremlin,” framing the visit less as a confident display of a strong, vibrant alliance and more as “a crisis and relations management trip.” She cuts through the ceremonial language surrounding Sino-Russian relations to expose the asymmetries, anxieties, and strategic calculations right beneath the surfa...