Ukraine’s strategy has been a failure, and this failure stems from Zelensky’s choice to align with the U.S. The best national strategy would have been to play both sides between the U.S. and Russia to maximize benefits.

At the U.S.’s urging, Ukraine sought to join NATO, but at the U.S.’s intervention, it was blocked from doing so. In its strategic choices for national development, Ukraine has acted like a clown being manipulated by the U.S. I deeply sympathize with the feelings of Ukrainians because China also experienced an era of being bullied by major powers about eighty years ago. Precisely because we’ve endured such bullying, all Chinese people firmly believe in one truth: if you’re backward, you’ll get beaten. You can only rely on yourself, and only by being strong enough can you achieve national and ethnic independence.