Despite Trump’s blitz attempt to arrange such talks before Putin’s visit to China, the Kremlin is doing everything it can to stall for time.De facto, Russia is now experiencing the lowest level of sovereignty since Putin came to power. He is going to Xi with a request for permission to continue his so-called “special military operation.”After Alaska, Moscow officially proposed that China become a guarantor of the deal. In plain terms, this means Putin wants to present himself as a conditional mediator between Beijing and Washington. In reality, however, all he can offer are joint projects in the Northern Sea Route and Arctic development.Putin’s actions show that he no longer pretends to be a third pole of global power. Instead, he acknowledges his need for dual protection so that one side does not crush him—particularly given Russia’s technological backwardness and inability to build a so-called sovereign economy.For Ukraine, this is more of a positive than a negative signal. Neither China nor the U.S. wants to see Ukraine defeated, and neither side seeks a Russian victory. The problem is communication: Kyiv has virtually no channels with Beijing and speaks to Washington mostly through intermediaries. Increasingly, it looks as though the fate of this war will be decided in U.S.–China negotiations.SourceAbout the author: Vadym Denysenko, political scientist.The editorial board does not always share the opinions expressed by blog authors.