Here's a summary of what I think the West is fighting China not China and us fighting Russia:

The Russians and Chinese cannot coexist as global powers.

History would seem to instruct China and Russia that they cannot both dominate Asia. They must know that one of them has to serve the other. China has people and food. Russia has oil, gas, minerals, and LAND.

It is not logical to think that they are fighting with each other against the West. It is more logical to suppose that the West and Russia (who are close culturally and financially) are against the Chinese....a completely different culture and way of life with the manpower to threaten anyone they can drive a tank division into.

The Russians and Chinese are fighting a Cold War along their border that has never ended.

This border may be the most heavily fortified in the world. Much material can be found online documenting this and the constant dancing that Russian and Chinese leaders play across the border. While trade and mutual investment occur, the Chinese are on record in multiple instances insinuating that Chinese investment north of the Amur River is for their children...not for Russia. That's spooky.

The Russians and Chinese cannot coexist but cannot fight each other.

Every superpower has nuclear retaliation in its doctrine for invasion. A nuclear war between Russia and China destroys both of them. This option is just as unacceptable as them coexisting as superpowers on the same continent. Russia's weapons of mass destruction (including chem and bio, read up on the Novichok Agents) would destroy China even though the Russian Army has no hope against the Chinese.

The pickle for Russia is they need someone else to fight China who has a hope of beating them.

Enter NATO. They have been occupying countries on the only major road corridor from Europe to China and building bases. They appear to be trying to stop a Chinese land assault with air superiority over the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. The Russians must be very happy with this.

Russia cannot act like they are friends with NATO.

This should be obvious. Russia must remain neutral in this fight or Asia is lost to weapons of mass destruction.

Russia would have no hope of standing up to China in a land war if WMD's were not used.

The Army that struggled to take Grozny and was pushed out of Afghanistan by tribal fighters with Stingers isn't taking on the PLA. Period. And they know this.

Russia will be used to put down a rebellion in the USA if that occurs.

If NATO is fighting Russia's mortal enemy, what is Russia doing in return? Fighting the oligarch's mortal enemy in the millions of heavily armed Americans. This is why the Russians were training with US Troops in Colorado last year for "counter-insurgency". This is why they announced that "joint security partnership" nonsense a few months ago. Russia will provide the muscle to chase Patriots through North America.

This avoids the dilemma of trying to get US troops to fire on civilians. The white Russians will not scare the liberals in the urban areas who will regard the Patriots as terrorists. The Russians will be "Joint UN Peacekeepers" and will look non-threatening and have cute European accents that make liberals moist.

This scenario seems to make the most sense to me. This is why NATO is trying to make bullshit cases to get into Syria and Iran as fast as possible. They need to secure that corridor ahead of Chinese tanks pouring into Afghanistan. China knows they can't let that happen.

That's why I'm watching this all very closely and keeping my guns nice and clean. Its going to get very interesting.