Pentagon says Russia more of a burden to China after Ukraine invasion

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the strategic burden on China, according to a senior Pentagon official, because Russian troops have been on the offensive in Ukraine for the better part of the month-long war.

"I do think that there`s a degree to which what Putin has done in Ukraine makes Russia much more of a strategic burden for Beijing than it was six weeks ago or six months ago," Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said.

China's government has swung toward Russia, voicing support for Moscow's complaints about Nato expansion while hesitating to label its activities as an invasion.

However, while Beijing's censors are working hard to keep any criticism of that viewpoint out of the public eye, the disagreement has sparked passionate debate among Chinese policy specialists and the general public.

Analysts say the argument demonstrates the tensions created by a confrontation between Chinese diplomatic values and alignment with Russia, as Beijing tries to assess how the war would effect its interests.

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Following standoffs over Ukraine and Taiwan, China and Russia declared a "no limits" alliance in February, promising to work together more against the West.

According to a senior US defence official, Ukrainian army pushed Russian forces positioned outside the capital city of Kyiv for weeks as far as 15 miles further back in a massive counteroffensive on Wednesday.

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To provide a battlefield update, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Russian forces have advanced nearly 40 kilometres from the capital.

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(With inputs from agencies)