Russia's Role in the World is Diminishing: Why China Does Not View Putin as a Partner.

According to FREEДOM:

Ukraine's Position on Putin as a Mediator

Vladimir Putin cannot be a mediator in negotiations between the USA and China due to his dependence on Beijing and opposition to Washington. This was stated by Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, on the FREEДОМ TV channel.

Podolyak also emphasized that Putin has no influence, especially in relations with China.

'Putin would perhaps like Moscow to be not even a mediator, but an equal partner in the triangle of China - USA - Russia, but that is physically impossible. Putin has no influence over China; he is very dependent on it. China will certainly not use the services of an unstable partner, and Putin is unstable, that is obvious: he does not play by the rules, he does not adhere to agreements, he always steps aside in critical moments when a crisis arises; he is afraid. And if China has any needs, I think it will find a way to negotiate directly with the USA', Podolyak noted.

The adviser also remarked that currently, Putin is effectively selling 'air' to the United States, referring to the Northern Sea Route and Arctic projects.

'Today, Russia is a country that can only sell air, nothing more. Yes, with Trump, Putin can have some amusing conversations that will have no real substance; however, unfortunately, Trump somewhat enjoys having such conversations with Putin. Although for US interests, Russia is an opponent country that will never act as an ally', the adviser explained.

Chinese Interests and the Role of Russia

Speaking about China, Podolyak highlighted two main interests of Beijing and assessed the role of Russia in these processes.

'China is interested in two trends, both currently positive for it. The first is the increase in influence in the economy due to cheap resources called control over the RF, and the second is a sharp increase in global political influence when entire regions begin to orient themselves towards you. Latin America, Africa, almost all of Central Asia, and even part of the Middle East - they all look towards China in one way or another and attempt to gain their profitability by strengthening China's global political positions. In all these processes, the most insignificant is the Russian Federation. Today, one can speculatively profit off of it, one can use Russia to undermine global positions and strengthen their own, as China does. But it is highly unlikely that larger countries will use Russia as a mediator with any influence', he said.

It should be noted that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit begins on August 31 in China. This meeting will be the largest since the founding of the bloc.

Thus, Podolyak's words underline the complex role of Russia in the current geopolitical context, where its influence on China raises many questions. These comments coincide with current events taking place on the international stage, particularly within the framework of the SCO summit, where regional countries are trying to understand their positions concerning global politics.