China’s Involvement in Ukraine’s Economy Vis-à-vis Russia

China has increased its involvement in Ukraine, using development assistance through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a convenient pretext. China’s main goal is economic benefits for itself, and the Russian aggression against Ukraine makes that easier, since China can exploit their worsening relations. At the same time, China is strengthening its position in Eastern Europe to gain an advantage in its relations with Russia, the EU and the U.S. China’s priority partnership is with Russia, but its activity in Ukraine does not threaten Russian interests.