China has criticised Western sanctions against Russia and parroted Russian propaganda about the war being caused by America’s own plans to pursue NATO enlargement, even though it had been clear for years that NATO members were not going to vote to admit Ukraine.Ĭhina’s unwillingness to criticise Russia has left it sitting on the diplomatic sidelines, unable to wield influence commensurate with its growing economic and military strength. When the UN Security Council voted on a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion, China abstained. While China has long portrayed itself as a defender of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, it has tolerated Putin’s brazen violation of the United Nations Charter. The question is whether Xi has the imagination and the courage to use it. Turkey, Israel, and France (among others) are attempting to mediate in Russia’s current war, but they do not have nearly as much leverage with Putin as his ally Xi does. He pressed hard for the parties to compromise and ultimately prevailed, thereby boosting America’s global influence and winning himself a Nobel Peace Prize. Is there any way to end this nightmare quickly? One possibility is for Chinese President Xi Jinping to see that he has a “Teddy Roosevelt Moment.” After the brutal war between Russia and Japan in 1905, Roosevelt stepped in to mediate. The tragic upshot is that Ukraine’s heroic resistance has been accompanied by increasing civilian suffering. He then turned to a brutal bombardment of cities like Mariupol and Kharkiv to terrorise the civilian population into submission – as he had previously done in Grozny and Aleppo. 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. Russian President Vladimir Putin thought he could quickly capture Kyiv and replace Ukraine’s government. China has an opportunity to help end the war in Ukraine, but domestic politics mitigate against it, writes Joseph S.
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