 Chinese officials have blasted Vladimir Putin as crazy, and claimed Beijing thinks Russia is going to fail in its war in Ukraine, and will emerge from the conflict as a minor power. Several Chinese officials warned Beijing must not simply follow Russia and blindly support the war in Ukraine in a rare rebuke of Putin's barbaric invasion. The officials said they believe that Russia will fail to win the war in Ukraine, and the impact of such an expensive and deadly conflict will see Moscow emerge as a minor power, with a diminished economy and the poor standing on the world stage. The scathing comments came from the Chinese officials, with some accusing Putin of being crazy. Mark, a significant turning point in the supposedly amicable relations between Russia and China, just a month after the two countries vowed to deepen their bilateral ties. It now appears that President Xi Jinping may be doing his best through his officials to distance himself from Putin and his war, as the Chinese leader now focuses on improving his diplomatic relations with the West. Putin is crazy, one Chinese official told the Financial Times. The invasion decision was made by a very small group of people. China shouldn't simply follow Russia. Beijing now believes that it is likely that Russia will fail in its mission to win its war against Ukraine and will emerge from the conflict a minor power, Chinese officials said.