>the prospect of world-leading AI capability has a lot more economic value than what Ukraine can offer.

The mere fact that you imagine that Moscow's motivation in invading Ukraine is economic is a sign that you're missing the main reasons Moscow or Beijing would want to ban AI: (1) unlike in the West and especially unlike the US, it is routine and normal for the government in those countries to ban things or discourage their use, especially new things that might cause large societal changes and (2) what Moscow and Beijing want most is not economic prosperity, but rather to prevent another one of those invasions or revolutions that kills millions of people and to prevent the country's ruling coalition from losing power.