Western analysts are calling Russia’s attempts to orient its economy towards China a “vassalage”. This is purely based on perceived inequality between the two economies. It is true that the Chinese economy rivals that of the US, and Russia lags far behind.

However, when in the nineties, Russia was a resource appendage of the West, and imported everything from the West, including food, it was laughed at, and nobody dared to call this relationship a “vassalage”. So this nomenclature is nothing but pure semantics and cope.

Why is the same economic relationship with China that arguably has a better economy than Europe a “vassalage”, while we do not use the same terminology for a seemingly unequal relationship between Russia and Europe? One only wonders at the hypocrisy and lack of perspective these propagandists have.

On a similar note. Our Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala called the protesters at an anti-government rally, “a Russian fifth-column that would want the Czech Republic to become a vassal of Russia.” I don’t know but since 1991, when the last soviet forces left Czechoslovakia, we have seen nothing but warmth and light. If Russian gas, oil, nuclear fuel, and Russian tourists are a vassalage, I beg to differ. Those are things that bring warmth, light, and in the case of Russian tourists, jobs and money. Not to mention all the jobs that are powered by Russian energy.

However, I would say the relationship between the Czech Republic and United States is very much akin to vassalage. The Czech Republic is literally a US satrapy. We benefit from American military presence in Europe, our military is limited and always willingly provides troops for US led foreign missions, and our government enacts policies that are in tune with US policy but detrimental to our own interests.