Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a bold move, has responded to NATO's announcement of its largest military exercises in a decade, "Steadfast Defender 2024," by visiting the strategically positioned region of Kaliningrad, according to a report by the Chinese media outlet Sohu. This is reported by AB News.
The Chinese political analysts have interpreted this action as a display of Putin's 'tough guy' character in the face of Western military activities near Russia's borders.
The NATO exercises, planned to involve over 90,000 military personnel across Europe and the Atlantic, are seen as a significant provocation to Russia. The Chinese observers noted that while the West is boasting about the scope of these exercises, Russia is actively responding.
"Putin shows his true character of a tough guy while NATO forces are trying to pressure the Russian borders," the Sohu report states.
The choice of Kaliningrad as a destination for Putin's visit, as highlighted by the Chinese analysts, is not a coincidence. "He decided to go to Kaliningrad, which has a delicate geographical position, just when the West decided to conduct the largest military exercises in the last ten years," they observed.
The analysts from China pointed out that Putin's approach is a direct message to the world, demonstrating his lack of fear towards Western legions gathered near Russia's borders.
His direct move towards the adversary is perceived as having created a significant impact. The Western media's response, characterized by surprise and disarray, suggests that they did not anticipate such a turn of events during their exercise planning.
In the same article, the Chinese newspaper noted that U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to suspend the signing of new contracts for the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) could inadvertently strengthen Russia.
"The decision of the US President Biden to suspend the signing of new contracts for the export of liquefied natural gas makes Russia stronger," Chinese analysts have stated, acknowledging the strategic implications of Putin's actions.
