Changes have already come to the nature of war, but non-state actors will change international relations more broadly in the future, becoming an important force affecting the evolution of the international order and changing the balance of power.

While the United States and its Western allies might wish that China would adopt their position and help to mediate an end to the crisis, China has crafted a stance that conforms to its own interests. It simply doesn’ t have the influence other countries may imagine.

Third high-level meeting of Afghan officials, together with the foreign ministers of neighboring countries, reflected China’s strategic commitment to the greater Middle East region and charted a course that can lead to the end of chaos.

Washington might believe that Russia’s poor performance in Ukraine will make China think twice about using force, or that China will be constrained by the CPC’s 20th National Congress. But this is a grave misunderstanding.

The continuing attacks on Ukraine should be a point where global leaders should be able to align on creating a solution - but outside of a vacuum, tense relations and posturing are getting in the way.

The U.S. and India are currently in a sort of golden age of relations - both of them using the other to build up capital against China’s influence. However, India’s Cold War history with Russia leaves it on shaky terms with the U.S. amid the Ukraine crisis, and adds an unforeseen wrinkle to America’s best-laid plans for the region.

The Russia-Ukraine War is driving global change in both the economic and security domains. China and the United States will face a different world than existed before the Russian military operation that began on February 24.

The international credibility of the United States has been thrown into question. Failure to deliver on promises and various signs of weakness will diminish trust in the U.S. by its allies, thus dampening its appeal and leadership.

No matter how things go on the battlefield, Russia seems to have lost politically, economically and diplomatically. While the strategic center of gravity has shifted, Russia remains obsessed with territorial expansion and control of natural resources.

Russian President Vladimir Putin thought he could quickly capture Kyiv and replace Ukraine’s government. Whether he was misled by poor intelligence or by his own fantasies about history, his “smash and grab” failed in the face of effective Ukrainian resistance. He then turned to a brutal bombardment of cities like Mariupol and Kharkiv to terrorize the civilian population into submission – as he had previously done in Grozny and Aleppo. The tragic upshot is that Ukraine’s heroic resistance has been accompanied by increasing civilian suffering.