The Ukraine war has put China in a bind. As a friend of both Russia and Ukraine, China has no desire to pick a side. On the contrary, conventional Chinese wisdom dictates that, when two friends fight each other, the primary objective must be to end the conflict through mediation. While China’s balanced stance has aroused more than a little suspicion, it could end up hastening the end of the war – and easing tensions with the United States.

Russian President Vladimir Putin thought he could quickly capture Kyiv and replace Ukraine’s government. Whether he was misled by poor intelligence or by his own fantasies about history, his “smash and grab” failed in the face of effective Ukrainian resistance. He then turned to a brutal bombardment of cities like Mariupol and Kharkiv to terrorize the civilian population into submission – as he had previously done in Grozny and Aleppo. The tragic upshot is that Ukraine’s heroic resistance has been accompanied by increasing civilian suffering.

As the global community turns against an increasingly isolated Russia, China’s silence on the topic becomes more easily interpreted as support for Putin’s war. The untenable stance will be sure to drive more friction between the West and China and puts China’s foreign interests in further jeopardy.

China has remained relatively quiet on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to the annoyance of the West. There may be several explanations for Beijing’s aloofness.

In their upcoming summit, China and Europe should steadfastly oppose any kind of new cold war. With the Ukraine conflict increasing the risk of decoupling, the need for joint responsibility to prevent a new cold war is clear.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been costly, and Russia has reportedly requested assistance from China. The U.S. and its Western allies have also opened dialogue with Chinese officials, and Beijing now faces a fork in the road and whichever route it chooses will define international relations for a long time to come.

China may be on the rocks as it attempts to sort through its options and navigate the challenge that Russia’s invasion/war with Ukraine has created for them.

China’s close strategic ties to Russia make it hard to come out in full-throated condemnation of the violence in Ukraine along with much of the world. Yet there are actionable methods that China can use to try and help save lives of innocent citizens.

Fast-moving events are forcing the United States to adopt a more cooperative posture toward China, whose help it needs to meet the expectations of the international community. Cooperation has assumed increasing real-world importance.

An article discussing an unexpected take on the Ukraine crisis from a prominent Shanghai scholar was taken offline in China, showcasing the difficulties of obtaining a complete narrative from the media.