With America distracted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the ICBM on the Korean Peninsula is not getting much attention. But the problem won’t go away without judicious action on both sides.

China has remained relatively quiet on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to the annoyance of the West. There may be several explanations for Beijing’s aloofness.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has disrupted the governance of the northern region, posing a threat to economic cooperation and risking military escalation. Changes to the framework and their effect on Russia are worthy of close attention going forward.

While the issue is complex for China and the EU, one attainable step would be to cooperate on humanitarian relief for Ukraine — delivering medical and sanitary supplies. They should also press for a cease-fire.

Russia has quietly become a major player in Southeast Asia by arming and supporting many of China’s rivals. But strategic alignments in the region may soon change following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine leading to a growing dependence on China.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been costly, and Russia has reportedly requested assistance from China. The U.S. and its Western allies have also opened dialogue with Chinese officials, and Beijing now faces a fork in the road and whichever route it chooses will define international relations for a long time to come.

China may be on the rocks as it attempts to sort through its options and navigate the challenge that Russia’s invasion/war with Ukraine has created for them.

China’s close strategic ties to Russia make it hard to come out in full-throated condemnation of the violence in Ukraine along with much of the world. Yet there are actionable methods that China can use to try and help save lives of innocent citizens.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict undermines the prospects for prosperity and security around the world — and that includes China, whose economic development recent years had depended upon a stable external strategic environment.

Arab countries in particular will play an important role as event in the Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupt economic patterns. They may see an opportunity to regain stature in the international arena.