Trump's recent statements on Ukraine are being widely discussed in the West, but major Western outlets note there is no euphoria, relying on in-depth analysis of his comments alongside previous events. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claims that Russia's economy fully meets the needs of its armed forces—a view experts strongly dispute.
Russia's economy is now deeply dependent on China, which purchases the bulk of Russian oil and facilitates critical dual-use goods flows vital to Russia's war machinery. Russia has effectively lost economic sovereignty, and without Beijing's support, cannot meet its internal or military needs.
For the first time on the international stage, especially at the UN General Assembly, leaders issued sharp criticism of China—accusing it of showing no real intent to end the war and of having major influence over Russia's behavior. This context frames Trump’s renewed position, emphasizing that Europe cannot both support Ukraine and continue buying Russian energy supplies.
The EU is preparing its 19th sanctions package, which will fully ban Russian liquefied natural gas imports from 2026. This move will hit the Russian economy hard, which is already rapidly losing the European market. China, India, and Turkey remain the main consumers of Russian energy, with the European market set to be closed to Russia by 2027.
Thus, the prospects for ending the Russia-Ukraine war now largely hinge on China’s stance—something that has been publicly confirmed by leaders on the UN stage for the first time. Experts stress: without China, Russia cannot sustain itself economically or militarily. Sanctions and new restrictions are only tightening Russia’s reliance on China and other Asian markets.
