[JumpCrisscross]

> guess who is stepping into the regional great power void: Russia

Russia is a spent force. It's population and military are aging, its resources are stretched; it's more a nuisance than a menace. (This is fine. Britain was, too, after WWII.)

China is the real threat in the region, and it's likely moving into the vacuum. (For reasonable reasons. The Taliban can help secure their western border.)

[thaumasiotes]

I have a hard time seeing how you reconcile these two ideas:

> Russia is a spent force. It's population and military are aging

> China is the real threat in the region