Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently told EU diplomat Kaja Kallas that Beijing did not want to see Russia lose in Ukraine, not because it directly supports the conflict, but because it feared a U.S. strategic realignment against China. If Russia were to falter, Washington could shift its full focus to the Indo-Pacific. While some EU officials were surprised by Wang’s frankness, the comment underscores a widely held belief in Beijing—that a Russian defeat would upend the delicate balancing act China has maintained amid great power rivalry.

Wang further rejected accusations that China was materially aiding Russia’s war effort, claiming that if Beijing were truly providing such support, the conflict would have ended long ago. These remarks, while diplomatically calibrated, reinforce the view that China and Russia perceive their geopolitical fates as closely intertwined.

Ukrainian nationalist accounts have gone into a tailspin about this. I almost feel sorry for you people. We did try to warn you!