Both Russia and China have exceedingly different foreign policy aims than the United States, and domestic complexities inevitably have distanced Moscow and Beijing from Washington on a series of pressing international matters. The common aspiration to produce a multipolar world has driven Russia and China to effectively align against the United States incorporating a skilled approach of realpolitik that often results in support for actors that undermine the global security environment.

One must look no further than the present crisis with Iran to come to terms with the fact that Moscow and Beijing have been rather unhelpful in pressuring the world’s most nefarious regimes to behave in a more responsible manner. The unwillingness to apply sanctions or even mention the use of force only emboldens Tehran, giving the impression that serious negotiations are unnecessary because serious consequences will likely be avoided. Likewise, North Korea’s nuclear threats may have never materialized had the Russians and, to a greater extent, the Chinese not provided economic aid and diplomatic protection to this communist holdover. Unfortunately, the contemporary struggles in reaching a consensus on Iran and North Korea are neither new nor unusual. In fact, from the time of its inception, the Sino-Russian alliance has been the facilitator of not only rogue regimes, but also the world’s most dangerous terrorist organizations.

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