On August 25, Valerii Klochuk, head of the Center for Public Analytics Vezha, interviewed Artur Kharitonov, President of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine, on China’s role in modern geopolitics and the Russia–Ukraine war.
Kharitonov argued that resolving the Russia–Ukraine conflict without China is impossible: Beijing, together with Moscow, controls the political, technological, and military spheres, with Russian war efforts increasingly reliant on Chinese support. China suggests involvement in security guarantees for Ukraine solely under a UN mandate, potentially allowing both Chinese and Russian presence in occupied territories. Kyiv opposes this scenario, viewing any Chinese participation in peacekeeping or security formats as bolstering Moscow’s position.
The interview detailed Russia’s economic dependence on China. Since the full-scale invasion began, trade between the two countries has neared a trillion US dollars. China aids the Russian economy through imports, investments, the yuan’s role in Russia’s financial system, and support for strategic infrastructure, particularly in the Arctic.
The conversation also explored possible US–Russia–China deals on the Arctic, postwar world order scenarios, and the risk of an anti-Western alliance of China, Russia, and North Korea. Kharitonov believes Donald Trump’s attempts to restore Russian independence from Beijing are unlikely to succeed. Despite US economic pressure, China aims to end the war under its terms, not those of the democratic West.
Kharitonov also commented on China’s global market role, Western tariff policies, and the emergence of a possible China–Russia–North Korea alliance, plus the diplomatic and economic roles of India and other regional players.
He concludes that the next phase of the Russia–Ukraine war and Chinese international policy will depend on political decisions in Beijing and developments in East Asia.
