China is a vital strategic partner of Russia's. While it has said it plays no role in the war, Beijing has provided Russia with a major economic lifeline through large-scale oil purchases, helping Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions.

China has recently sent a fleet of five research and icebreaking vessels to the Arctic region near Alaska, an unprecedented level of deployment that has drawn close monitoring from the U.S. Coast Guard and military authorities.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia may be seeking to build support among countries that have backed Moscow or remained neutral in the conflict.