The following is a transcript (translated from Hebrew) from a video of the well-respected Rav Yitzchok Dovid Grossman of the Migdal Ohr organization in Eretz Yisroel, posted in the weeks leading up to the Russian – Ukraine crisis:
When I was a child and I was standing next to my father in synagogue…a certain person was given the honor to sit next to my father. I don’t recall who it was, but he told a story to my father and it stuck in my head all the years.
He said that he had once been by the Admor of Stolin, the Yenuka [5629-5682 (1868-1921)], and the Admor said to the people who were present:
“Do you know what will be before Moshiach comes? Two roosters will fight with each other, and a third rooster will come along and give both of them a blow. But the Jewish nation, in the merit of their faith in Hashem, the G-d of Israel, they will survive.”
They asked him what is he talking about, who are these roosters? Listen to what he answered: “The two roosters are America and Russia. The third rooster is China.”
It seems that the comments made by the Admor of Stolin a hundred years ago are connected with the following verse in the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah):
On that day, the Lord shall visit with His hard and great and strong sword on Levyoson the straight serpent, and upon Levyoson the crooked serpent, and He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
The commentators explain these three creatures (straight serpent, the crooked serpent, and the dragon in the sea) as representing three nations which will be smitten in the war of Gog and Magog (Radak), “the day of vengeance” (Malbim). Among the commentaries we find:
Rashi (d. 1105): Pharoah king of Egypt / Sancheriv king of Ashur, and Esav antecedent of Edom (the Romans);
Radak (d. 1235): Edom / Yishmael / India;
Metzudas Dovid (d. 1769): Edom / Yishmael / other nations in the islands of the sea;
Malbim (d. 1879): a nation protected by its mountainous geography / a nation protected due to its vast size and population / and a strong and mighty nation.
This verse comes as a continuation to:
Go, My people, come into your chambers and close your door about you; hide for but a moment, until the wrath passes. For behold the Lord comes forth from His place to visit the iniquity of the dweller of the land upon him: and the land shall reveal its blood and it shall no longer conceal its slain ones.
The commentators explain that these (also) refer to the war of Gog and Magog (Radak), which will be a time of trouble for Israel for a short moment while Divine Justice avenges the blood of Israel that was spilled by the nations (Rashi, Metzuda, Radak, Malbim).