Ukraine

China's increasing misalignment with Russia on any settlement to end the war in Ukraine was reportedly evident at the talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Aug. 5-6.

The Financial Times reported that the Chinese representatives at the meeting were "constructive" and "keen to show that China is not Russia." The Financial Times quoted one European diplomat present at the talks as saying that the "mere presence of China shows Russia is more and more isolated."

The Chinese delegation reportedly indicated its willingness to attend the next meeting of a similar format that will likely also exclude Russia.

A Russian insider source alleged that Russia has rejected China's 12-point peace plan for the war in Ukraine from February 2023 (which the Chinese delegation re-introduced during the talks in Saudi Arabia) and that some Chinese elites are secretly expressing their dissatisfaction with the actions of the Russian leadership regarding a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine.

These reports from the talks in Saudi Arabia and insider allegations, if true, align with ISW's previous assessments that China is not fully aligned with Russia on the issue of Ukraine and that Russia and China's relationship is not a "no limits partnership" as the Kremlin desires.