Russians will starve if Putin inflicts “real harm” because nobody will want to do business with an unstable Russia. He’ll be begging Zimbabwe for business. EU, Chicoms, everybody else will take a pass.
The Chinese are not stupid like Putin is. They know that it is better for China to be America's friend. It would be better for Russia to be our friend too but Putin is too much of a savage drooling imbecile to figure that out. The Chinese are not going to ruin their relationship with us for the sake of Putin's mindless idiocy.