From whatever I have read and heard as well, Russia may not have been fully prepared for war. They may have expected Ukraine to fall sooner but that hasn't happened and Russia is dealing with logistical issues. However, most of what we see in the media is pro-West. I am not going to discount Putin and his intellect.

As far as China is concerned, the west needs China more than China needs the West. China, like Russia, has massive land and importantly, natural resources. They are the factory of the world. COVID-19 showed us that, and while the West wants to de-risk this dependence on one country, it will take years before they can de-risk. China on the contrary needs trading partners that have a large population and rising incomes - African countries and South Asian countries. China's suggestion to Russia to have diplomatic talks is a facade in my opinion.

This 48-hour idea is planted by the Western Media. As I said, I am not going to discount Putin over a 48 hour period. The West hasn't even been able to implement proper sanctions. There are financial consequences for the West from the sanctions and of course, the West stands to make money from this conflict by selling arms.