Senior Advisor Alexander Gabuev spoke on The Economist's podcast "Drum Tower" about the growing relationship between Russia and China following the invasion of Ukraine. 

"The asymmetry [between China and Russia] is inbuilt. China is a great power with very large and very robust economy, whereas Russia is increasingly a one-dimensional economy, it's mostly about commodities, and then the military industry. But then, with sanctions, the asymmetry is now on steroids...China is getting a friendly neighbor to the north, and keeping this colossal northern border at peace is very beneficial because it allows China to ship military resources elsewhere. Two, China gets a like-minded regime that’s all the time supporting China, and then can really be the bullet on the international arena, where China can take a backseat. And finally, Russia is a terrific source of commodities, and I would probably throw modern Russian weapons in that mix. China is still relying on Russian surface-to-air missiles, fighter jets, and that’s really crucial to potential planning around Taiwan or anything that comes up in the maritime domain."

Listen to the full episode below.