Kathrine Frich
Power balances can shift quietly long before the world notices, especially when economic influence and geopolitical ambition intersect.
As major states compete for resources and strategic advantage, alliances often blur the line between cooperation and dependency.
Such developments are now fueling growing concern in Kyiv.
Signs of deepening dependence
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Wednesday that Beijing is gaining control over parts of Russia.
They do this through expanding access to resource-rich regions and large-scale purchases of scarce commodities.
In a message posted on Telegram, he wrote:
“We are noticing a real intensification of the process of losing sovereignty of parts of Russia’s territory to China’s advantage. This primarily concerns the use of areas rich in natural resources and the sale of scarce resources to China.”
Zelensky added that intelligence partners share similar assessments.
“We also note that China is taking steps to intensify cooperation with Russia, particularly in the arms industry. Our partners’ intelligence has similar information,” he said.
His comments follow meetings in Rome that focused on Ukraine’s international partnerships and the broader security environment.
Intelligence findings
According to the Ukrainian presidency, Zelensky received a detailed report from Oleh Ivashchenko, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
The briefing covered global political dynamics, the state of Russia’s economy and the strategic implications of Chinese investment and technological involvement.
Zelensky instructed the intelligence service to monitor all elements of cooperation between Moscow and Beijing that could affect Ukraine or its allies. “Global security must not suffer because of Russia’s unrelenting appetite for aggression,” he appealed.
China’s stance
Beijing has publicly described the war as a “crisis” rather than an invasion and claims to hold a neutral position.
However, as Zelensky noted, ties between China and Russia have expanded in several fields over the past three years, including military cooperation.
Available reporting also talks about significant Chinese spending on Russian oil and deepening commercial links that support Moscow’s economy during wartime.
Sources: Telegram, WP.
