/I'm still monitoring the whole China question a lot, I feel like that's the most terrifying prospect right now. If China actually chooses to arm Russia in any visible way, it could prove difficult for Ukraine to ever expel Russia militarily. Since Russia has over 3x the population and doesn't have to deal with a refugee situation, they're more likely to win a war of straight attrition, or at least make it even more horrifying for the Ukrainian people on the way there.
USA and EU have threatened China so much over it that you have to question, why would they even consider doing it? What do they have to gain? It's not like Russia has much to offer them, and Russia is desperate for trade partners so they have no way to threaten them. So it would seem they have a ton more to lose from US/EU sanctions than to gain from whatever Russia offers. You figure the only reason they would do that would be if they wished to weaken/deplete the West in some serious manner. And that would likely only work in the short term. So why would China want to weaken/deplete the West in the short term? I can't come up with very happy answers.
Anyone heard/have an alternate take on it? Why would China even consider sending Russia weapons, knowing how strong the response will be. Do they just assume they're too big to fail and that the West wouldn't dare sanction them?
