Ukraine war diverts U.S. focus away from China, says analyst

Elena Burova, a senior research fellow at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said while Beijing has remained Washington's strategic priority, but the war had shifted this focus.

"As we heard at the Shangri-La Dialogue this year, the U.S. Defence Secretary said the security focus is shifting from Europe to Asia-Pacific.

"This could raise many concerns for China. That is why the prolonged crisis in Ukraine distracts the U.S. and its allies from China," she told AWANI International.

Burova added that the situation gave Beijing more space to consolidate power in the region.

On May 31, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Indo-Pacific region was a priority for the Trump administration.

During his speech in Singapore, Hegseth warned that the threat from China was imminent and urged allies to boost defence spending.

Meanwhile, Washington has also been trying to steer peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

The U.S. and European officials were seeking ways to encourage both sides to enter dialogue to prevent the war from escalating further.

On whether China should replace Washington in leading such talks, Burova said Beijing was not an appropriate mediator despite its economic and diplomatic clout.

"The primary reason is that China is not a direct participant in the conflict as the U.S. is, since the latter supplies weapons that fuel the conflict,’ she added.

On Aug 28, the U.S. State Department approved a potential sale of air-launched cruise missiles and related equipment to Ukraine for an estimated USD825 million.