![Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking to Chinese President Xi Jinping.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/china-russia-relations-ukraine-war-09162022-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, observers have been keeping a close eye on how much support China might lend its isolated partner. Though China has offered a much-needed diplomatic lifeline to Vladimir Putin in the face of Western efforts to make him a global pariah, Xi Jinping’s patience now seems to have worn thin.