ISW said China's growing disagreement with Russia over a settlement to end the war in Ukraine was evident at talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 5-6 August.

ISW noted that "The Financial Times reported that the Chinese representatives at the meeting were 'constructive' and 'keen to show that [China] is not Russia'".

The Financial Times cited a European diplomat present at the talks, saying that the "mere presence of China shows Russia is more and more isolated".

The Chinese delegation, as it was reported, expressed its willingness to participate in the next similar-format meeting. Russia will probably not be at this meeting either.

A Russian insider source claimed that Russia has rejected China's 12-point peace plan for the war in Ukraine [re-presented by the Chinese delegation during talks in Saudi Arabia - ed.] made on February 2023, and that some Chinese elites secretly express that they are dissatisfied with the Russian leadership's actions regarding a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine.