President Xi Jinping was in Moscow this week, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit comes just weeks after Beijing released a 12-point position paper on a political settlement to what it calls the “Ukraine Crisis.” But expectations that China is going to help broker a breakthrough in the near term are low.
Putin’s War in Ukraine
After months of tensions due to a military build-up on the two countries’ border, Russia has invaded Ukraine. But if all the speculation and uncertainty over President Vladimir Putin’s intentions can now be laid to rest, the war itself opens a new period of uncertainty, with significant implications for security, economic stability and politics in Europe—and beyond.
The Russia-Ukraine war has provided the U.S. military with valuable lessons, and the Ukrainian army’s successes validate much of the U.S. military’s doctrine and operational art. Yet there is also cause for concern: The U.S. might be well-prepared for the kind of war Russia has fought in Ukraine, but it is poorly provisioned for it.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ center-right coalition won a landslide victory in the country’s parliamentary election, with the Russia-Ukraine conflict a salient part of her campaign. The results were interesting not only because of Kallas’ sweeping win, but also for the drop in support for other established parties.