In WWI deals were cut for the spoils of the Ottoman Empire before the "Great Game" was started. I'd bet there's some positioning going on right now.
Russia has never fought us directly, in the open, so to speak.
Instead, The USSR, and now Russia is content to let others do their bleeding for them. It would not be beyond the behaviour of the Soviet Union, (in the 'bad' old days?) to pit the forces of Islam and the Chinese against their old 'cold war' enemy.
Deniability exists should we prevail, plus the opportunity to pitch in "on our side" and share in the spoils of conquest.
Failing that, the mutual destruction of all potential adversaries by one another would leave Russia in a great position to take advantage of that weakness and establish global or nearly global hegemony.
I do not expect to see them in this fight directly, but in the background pulling strings.
I may be wrong, but unless they are directly threatened they will largely keep out of it, except to goad potential adversaries and facillitate their mutual animosities.
Putin is no stranger to Soviet era Strategy, he is 'ex' KGB.
"Russia has never fought us directly, in the open, so to speak."
My post didn't say we'd ever fought them directly. It said "Russia has always fought WITH U.S. in the end"
I agree with all the posts that say they'd love to bleed us and I doubt we are stupid enough to let that happen.
"As a rule, immigrants preserve their national identity, which gives them a reason to defend their rights and needs."
Except in Australia.
"CANBERRA: Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.
Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said on national television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option," Costello said. Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked move to the other country."
Why would he need to do that? The Chicoms and Soviets already have a stranglehold over that part of the world. They will work together, however, they will sacrifice the Islamic world (and maby N. Korea) to get their ends.