As President Vladimir Putin prepared in January to order Russian troops into Ukraine, his navy conducted war games with the Chinese and Iranian navies in the northern Indian Ocean.

Around the same time, Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was in Moscow, being told by his host how much Russia and China looked forward to having Teheran included in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that they lead. All three nations involved are subject to United States sanctions of varying degrees and early last month, China and Russia issued a landmark joint statement proclaiming a "no limits" friendship.