While the United States succeeded in convincing each of its NATO partners to support Ukraine militarily in the event of a conflict with Russia, the latter can count on China’s backing in case of a conflict with Ukraine and NATO.

This subject was the focus of the virtual summit that was held on 15 December 2021 between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

Washington’s strategists got it wrong. The only effect achieved from rising tensions will not have been to corner Russia, but to cement the military alliance between Moscow and Beijing.

Moreover, Russia and China have jointly asked the US for a written commitment not to expand NATO further east, not to station weapons in Ukraine and to prod Kiev to implement the Minsk accords.