Ukraine war: Chinese help for Russia is key topic as Joe Biden arrives in Europe to meet with allies
- The EU wants to send a message to Beijing that propping up Vladimir Putin is unacceptable, says a senior European diplomat
- The US president will attend meetings of the European Council, Nato and the G7 before travelling to Poland
The leaders of the United States and European Union will discuss China’s perceived support for Russia’s war against Ukraine at a flurry of major summits on Thursday, after US President Joe Biden arrived in Brussels on Wednesday evening.
Biden will attend meetings of the European Council, Nato and the Group of 7 nations on Thursday and fly to Poland on Friday, during which China’s positioning on the Russian invasion will be a prime topic. He will ensure that allies are under no illusions about Beijing before next week’s crucial EU-China summit.
Senior EU officials expect Biden to relay a message about China’s potential assistance to Moscow in circumventing crippling sanctions and providing military equipment, “whether it’s intentional or not”, amid speculation that Beijing was ready to offer an economic lifeline.
Biden will “certainly consult on the question of China’s potential participation in the conflict of Ukraine while he’s in Brussels”, his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Tuesday. “We believe we’re very much on the same page with our European partners and we will be speaking with one voice on this issue.”
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What China could gain, and lose, in the Ukraine-Russia crisis
While the tone and tenor of the conversation on China may vary between the EU and US – and indeed between EU member states – Biden will find Europeans more receptive to his critique of Beijing than last May, during his first transatlantic trip as president.