Do the Chinese protect Putin on the condition that he agrees to a compromise peace that they offer?
This subject is difficult, and no one should live with any kind of illusions. Putin’s war would not have gone its way without a green light from the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. The Chinese have now the option to assist Russia from an economic point of view.
What we know is that China is willing to work for peace, alongside France and Germany, as they recently tried to “coordinate to end the conflict”. On the other hand, we shouldn’t underestimate nor forget about the close relationship between Xi and Putin, and the fact that Xi has his own ambitions to bring Taiwan under Chinese control.
