At the recent summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an unexpectedly sharp message to Donald Trump about Vladimir Putin. According to the Financial Times, Xi suggested Putin "may yet regret" the invasion of Ukraine. A conversation that opens more questions than it closes.

Why now? Why to Trump? And why at the moment Putin is preparing a state visit to China just four days after Trump's meeting with Xi? The timing isn't accidental - it's diplomatic positioning.

Xi went further than in any previous conversation - he never spoke this openly to Joe Biden about a possible defeat for Moscow. That signals Beijing is starting to distance itself from the story of an unshakeable Russo-Chinese alliance. Economically, China still depends heavily on Russian gas and oil - but politically, the long-term calculation may now show that Putin's adventure is dragging China into unwanted danger.

Trump, for his part, reportedly suggested Xi coordinate action against the International Criminal Court - which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin. Classic Trumpian tactic: use one issue to open another. Whether Xi accepted or not isn't clear.

For the Balkans, especially regional players in the energy sector (and those planning their next geopolitical alliances), this message carries weight. If even Xi is starting to see Putin as a problem - then the story of an "unbreakable" Russian geopolitical bloc is falling apart from within. And it's falling apart precisely when our own politicians still count on Moscow as a lasting partner. The question worth asking: if even the Chinese have doubts, why do Balkan politicians still bet on Moscow?