After ten months of one of the longest and bloodiest battles in Russia’s war in Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers are now defending a shrinking half-circle of […]

On March 22, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin announced an enduring economic partnership that aims to bring more Russian energy to China and more Chinese companies to Russia. The partnership comes at a time of war in Ukraine, and the economic pledges are intended to protect both countries from Western sanctions and other consequences of the conflict. China and Russia have grown closer economically in recent years, with China using its significant reserves to purchase Russian assets and the two countries collaborating on large infrastructure projects and scientific and technological development. The partnership has geopolitical implications, with the two countries circling their wagons against potential punitive measures from the United States and Europe. This growing alliance also has ramifications for Japan, which has taken a clear stance on the war in Ukraine and aligned itself with NATO members.