I agree on the grounds that Putin knows that NATO and the EU will absolutely turn on him at a moments notice, and is rabid to do so. On one end is an ally that will never betray or attack them and on the other end is an org that has spend decades trying to destroy him and will do so as soon as it's convenient. China will absolutely never stand against Russia in any form unless Russia were to like,go completely insane and attack them. Meanwhile NATO will do everything it can tof fuck them over at a moments notice.

On the other hand though, he's smart enough to also know his future, and the future of the Russian oligarchy, relies entirely on not allowing Chinese socialism to influence the Russian proletariat. And that when the west falls, the AES countries will continue to grow more and more.

So I think he both wants to keep China as an ally, but absolutely knows he can't last forever with the largest and most powerful socialist nation to ever exist sharing a border. And I don't think he will ever "go left" as I have seen other dream about. If the oligarchy was every overthrown in Russia, he's know he would be a dead man.

So trusting him to always be on China's side is not something I think anyone should ever do. If he could survive against the west without China he absolutely would abandon them.

This is just my views on the matter though.

That's why the West talks so much of regime change or balkanization of Russia.