Champions of the art of sitting between two chairs

Multi-vectored policy is a necessary condition for the survival of countries sandwiched between the poles of power, but this policy becomes dangerous when the poles themselves begin to "suffer" from it. 1. Turkey. It deserves the title of a champion among the countries that "sit between two chairs." Turkey's multi-vector approach to things is striking for its outright cynicism that the country shows towards international partners. Indeed, it is hard to name another NATO country that would buy state-of-the-art weapons from Russia (NATO's enemy No.1) and conduct joint military operations with it (in Syria). On the one hand, Recep Erdogan is building the Turkish Stream gas pipeline system bypassing Ukraine (while providing Ukraine with political support in the Crimea and loans for the purchase of weapons). On the other hand, the Turkish Stream is running out: as of late March, gas supplies decreased by seven times, while Russia's S-400 air defense systems were never put on combat duty. Of course, Erdogan sat on the chair with Donald Trump. Turkey's cynicism is straightforward: the Turks can betray at any moment. At the same time, however, it is not very dangerous, because everyone knows what to expect from Ankara. 2. Russia. The picture is reversed here as Russia hides its multi-vectored policy and positions her home policies as purely sovereign. However, when the issue of recognizing the regime of Petro Poroshenko was being decided, Moscow made a concession to Berlin and Paris, who asked about it - Russia did not make a step towards the Russians in the Donbass, who asked about the opposite. On the one hand, Moscow demands Ukraine should comply with the Minsk Accords, but on the other hand, it continues to trade with it and remains Ukraine's No. 1investor.