Every school playground has seen how this goes. If a tyrannical, malevolent bully is constantly pushing his weight around there is only one sure way to face him down and make sure he STAYS down. Children know the score and the script when there’s a bully around. You stay tight with your friends. It’s not surprising then that China has issued its strongest statement yet making it clear that it will assist Russia in defending itself. But China is not the only friend Russia has that may be relied upon to stand up to the collective western bully… far from it. Putin has been doing the rounds lately. First he checked in with Xi in Beijing. Then, in recent days he first visited Belarus, then other nations within the mutual defense group known as the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Putin was checking the members of the CSTO were ready for the fight clearly to come. Wikipedia: ‘The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, formed in 2002. The Collective Security Treaty has its origins in the Soviet Armed Forces, which was replaced in 1992 by the United Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and was then itself replaced by the successor armed forces of the respective independent states. Similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty (CST) establishes that an aggression against one signatory would be perceived as an aggression against all. The 2002 CSTO charter reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to abstain from the use or threat of force. Signatories are prohibited from joining other military alliances.’ Why is any of this especially relevant now? Because, for one thing, it is clear that most NATO nations are poised to enter the conflict in Ukraine directly. For another, the green light has just been given by most of them to allow missile strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation. Add one and one to get two here. For the first time officially NATO states, through their Ukrainian proxy will clearly demonstrate their aggression against Russia through acts of war against it. This triggers the agreement among the CSTO nations that aggression against one of their number will be perceived as ‘an aggression against all’.  Now you know the reason for Putin’s travels to Russia’s most powerful friendly nations in the last few days. It is speculated that Russia is also seeking assistance from another state, Afghanistan. We may hear in the coming days that Russia has formally recognized the Taliban as the legal government of Afghanistan. At that point watch for the emergence of a mutual defense pact between Afghanistan and Russia. Shortly after there could well be a significant transfer of seasoned Afghan fighters to the territory of the Russian Federation. Iran too is, as we know, a good friend of Russia’s and a member along with Russia of the BRICS group. Add the DPRK, another friendly nation into the mix also. These are powerful allies who appear ready to join the fight. As the saying goes, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If the western nations are going to act in unison against Russia in Ukraine then Russia will not by any means stand alone against them. Russia has a great many friends among the global majority who have for a long time now had it up to the back teeth with the interminable bullying of the western powers. They see their chance at last to shuck off the persistent threats of the bully by standing in unison with powerful others against it. With the USA, UK and most EU nations apparently up for a fight it is only natural for Russia to band together as many others as possible to fight against them… a fight, quite possibly, to the death.   

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