Russia and China forge closer ties as U.S. preoccupied with ...

Without naming names, the message was clear: Washington does not have the might or the right to act as the world’s police.For China, this would mean less criticism over alleged human rights abuses against its Uyghur Muslim minority, which the U.S. and others say is being subjected to cultural genocide, its crackdown on freedoms in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, and its threats to invade the self-governing island of Taiwan, all of which China denies.Russia wants to hush criticism of its meddling in other countries’ elections, its invasion of neighbors, such as Georgia and Ukraine, and its silencing of political opposition and freedom of speech at home, all of which it also denies.The extent of American decline has been debated for years within Chinese circles of power, said Kingsley Edney, who teaches politics and Chinese international relations at the University of Leeds in England. China backed Russia’s demand that Ukraine should never join NATO, but experts believe it would not want a war because of its trading links to Kyiv.U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday an invasion by Russia could begin “any day now,” something Moscow has repeatedly denied despite its massive troop buildup.With tensions at an all-time high and Russia holding military drills in the nearby Black Sea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Putin on Monday and suggested that the Kremlin should continue its diplomatic route with the U.S. and its allies.