Putin weakened by the Ukraine war: Is China reaching for Russia's east?. Trade between the two countries grew to a record high of more than $240 billion last year.
China and Russia share a border more than 4,000 kilometers long. Xi Jinping needs the Russians as allies in the conflict with the USA. Thanks to China's help, the Russian economy has so far been able to avert collapse. In the long term, however, the war and isolation by the West are likely to weaken Putin's empire.