@swerve , I will reply on your comments in China thread in here.
You are comparing what should happen in 90's after USSR demise and what happens now. What happens now is just part of consequences on chain reaction in 90's. Why don't you see that, when even some in West analysts already see that also.
This is not a blame to Russia or West. This is just part of consequences on chain reaction on Geopolitical path that bring us now on present situation. When the path in 90's don't create new arrangements that meet both West and Russia interest, then they begin to create another path. Why even now some in West still think that the path the West carve will be the same with Russian interest, thus Russian will react the same ?
Your response is only see on the West value and interest. You claim Russia want to be treated not equal and more on special. You seems to see that Russia want West to "bend the knees", while Russian seems to think the other way around. Thus as non West and Russian perspective, I'm just saying this is why the common Euro Security arrangements in 90's can not be meet. Whether Putin or some one else in charge of Russia, the divergence path will not create much different results in the end.
Russia expect NATO to be dissolve or Change their nature in order to meet Russia interest. West want NATO still the same or even enlarging to encompasses more European that meet their criterea (and become part of collective West idea and thinking). That's means from the 90's any effort to meet the common ground for both West and Russia can't meet from beginning. So both create their own path, and what happens now is just part of that consequences.
If somehow now both Russia and China path converging, is also consequences on diverging path that West has with Russia and China. Multipolar world order rather then Unipolar world order under Western (more precise US 'idea') after end old cold war, is also consequences of that divergence path. Path of new Geopolitical rivalry order.
It is now that's not clear yet as I mentioned on other thread, whether this new Geopolitical order will:
1. Create Cold War 2.0,
2. Create new commercial rivalry order,
3. WW3.
# 2 is I believe more preferable and I do sense what many outside Collective West and Allies hope to come out. What clear now status quo under Unipolar dominate by US/West as after cold war (1.0) dissolve, will have to change in to that three potential paths.