‘Red line’: Europe warns China not to send weapons to Russia
- EU foreign policy chief says bloc is watching for any sign of lethal support to Moscow
- Beijing rejects suggestion it was considering supplying arms and points finger at the US
“To date, we have seen Chinese companies … provide non-lethal support to Russia for use in Ukraine. The concern that we have now is based on information we have that they’re considering providing lethal support,” Blinken told CBS News on Saturday.
A series of leading European officials cautioned China against crossing such a line.
Arriving for a meeting of the bloc’s Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said he had a “long conversation” with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Munich over the weekend and had again asked him that China should not provide arms to Russia.
“For us, it would be a red line in our relationship. He told me they’re not going to do it, that they do not plan to do it. But we remain vigilant,” Borrell said.
Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Urmas Reinsalu said he was “very concerned” about the reports, saying that if Beijing did help arm Russia, it would mean “their hands [are] covered with blood”.
Lithuania’s Gabrielius Landsbergis said it would be “an extremely worrying development in the war”.
“I would not discount that possibility because the no-boundaries relationship … can in our minds include sending lethal weapons to Russia. Then we’d be at the start of a very dark period globally,” he said.
Ministers from Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia, Finland issued similar warnings.
01:39
US warns China of ‘serious consequences’ if it supplies weapons to Russia for Ukraine war
Beijing has denied Blinken’s claim, saying it was “the United States and not China that is endlessly shipping weapons to the battlefield”.
“We urge the United States to earnestly reflect on its own actions, and do more to alleviate the situation, promote peace and dialogue, and stop shifting blame and spreading false information,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
“It is clear to the international community who is calling for dialogue and fighting for peace, and who is adding fuel to the fire and encouraging opposition.”
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv “hasn’t seen” China delivering arms to Russia.
“The issue is complex. I have personally appealed to the Chinese leaders directly and publicly not to offer any support to the Russians in this war. My hope is that Beijing maintains a pragmatic attitude, otherwise we risk the third world war,” Zelensky said.
“Our relationship with China has always been excellent, we have had strong economic relations for many years and it is in everyone’s interest that they do not change. The global challenge is to avert any risk of nuclear conflict.”
01:53
Russia is ‘launching new offensives’ in Ukraine, says Nato chief
“On the Ukraine issue, China’s position boils down to supporting talks for peace. We will put forth China’s proposition on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and stay firm on the side of peace and dialogue,” he told the security conference, prompting a mixed reception from European officials.
Asked about a potential Chinese peace plan, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told CNN that Brussels needed “more proof and more action to see that China is not supporting Russia”.
“So far, we see the opposite. And therefore, there is an open question on the table,” she added.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the move would be welcome.
“As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has an obligation to use its influence to secure world peace,” she said.
Baerbock added that she had discussed with Wang “what a just peace means – not that you reward the aggressor, but that you stand up for international law and for those who have been attacked”.
