Home » China says it “cannot afford to lose to Russia” in war with Ukraine: what does this mean

China says it “cannot afford to lose to Russia” in war with Ukraine: what does this mean

by alex

Russia is stepping up its attacks on Ukraine as American support wanes, while Beijing has issued a controversial statement that China cannot “afford” to let Moscow lose, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The decline in US support is already having consequences

Journalists note that information about the behavior of the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, during his last conversation with US President Donald Trump makes it clear that the Russian Federation does not intend to listen to calls to end the war.

Therefore, Trump's decision to stop arms sales to Ukraine gives a significant boost to the Russians and makes the situation worse, because it strengthens Russia's confidence that it will eventually squeeze Kyiv through a “game of attrition.”

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The Institute for the Study of War also believes that Ukrainian defenders will now have to economize on material resources, which will likely speed up Russian successes on the battlefield.

So this summer, Ukraine will probably suffer from continuous attacks from its larger neighbor, and all of Trump’s promises and attempts in this war have “come to a dead end.”

At the same time, the WSJ believes that Russia’s goal in its summer campaign is not so much the conquest of territory, but rather the desire to “outweigh” the troops and equipment of its smaller neighbor, as well as to undermine support from the civilian population and the West.

Russia has begun to use not only more drones and missiles, but also chemical attacks.

The Netherlands, together with German intelligence, have recorded that the Russians have begun to use such serious substances as chloropicrin, which is lethal in high concentrations, despite the fact that this is a serious violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of this toxic substance.

Moreover, the Kremlin is investing more and more in new developments in the field of chemical weapons, expanding research and attracting more and more scientists.

What does China's statement mean?

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi privately stated that his country allegedly “cannot afford” Russia’s defeat in the war in Ukraine, because “it is worried that the US will shift all its attention to Beijing.” Journalists report this, citing their own sources.

This statement by the minister somewhat contradicts the official position of China, which regularly publicly emphasizes that it allegedly does not participate in the Russian war with Ukraine on either side.

Wang Yi, at the same time, rejects accusations that the Chinese are still supporting the Russians with material and weapons, which helps them in the war against Ukraine.

Beijing insists that if this were true, the conflict would have “ended long ago.”

However, although China “did not ask” for this war, its continuation may be strategically beneficial for Beijing – after all, the US is distracted by the Ukrainians and pays less attention to the Chinese.

At the same time, the website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement that Beijing will “stand for peace” and promote a political settlement of the war.

Let us recall that during the latest large-scale attack by Russian drones on Ukraine on July 4, UAVs with Chinese components were discovered in Kyiv and Odessa.

Source: WSJ, South China Morning Post

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