Brussels – Undermined by the United States in handling international crises and deceived by China despite commitments never really signed, the Russian-Ukrainian war and the ensuing crisis may become a complete political failure. After the peace talks and proposals managed by Washington and Moscow without European involvement, it is acknowledged that Beijing played a role despite the invitation to refrain from it. “China is a key enabler of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” said the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas
She answers a parliamentary question that aims to understand what role the People’s Republic is playing and how Europe is acting. It is here that Kallas goes on the attack on Xi Jinping and his government. “Without China’s support, Russia would not be able to continue its military aggression with the same force,” she said. These direct and serious accusations are well-founded because, the High Representative continues, “China is the largest provider of dual-use goods and sensitive items that sustain Russia’s military-industrial base and that are found on the battlefield in Ukraine.”
Chinese industry produces, the Russian military uses: this summarizes the game plan of Moscow and Beijing. In Brussels, they know that whatever the People’s Republic and Hong Kong produce is used “in multiple types of military equipment.” The European Union is well aware of the alliance that has come into being in the East. In the 13th sanctions package, Chinese companies were already subjected to restrictive measures. Now, however, the situation has reached its limit.
“China’s support comes with a cost. It negatively affects EU-China relations,” which continue — they are not interrupted. Net of veiled accusations and threats, it is unclear how it will be possible to proceed with an increasingly uncomfortable partner that is in open contradiction to the response produced by the EU in the ongoing conflict on Ukrainian soil.
The ‘Chinese issue’ of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict may end up at the center of the informal summit in Paris, organized and hosted today (Feb. 17) by French President Emmanuel Macron, precisely to discuss Ukraine and European strategies. Presiding will be the heads of state and government of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark (the Danish prime minister will represent the Scandinavian and Baltic group of countries), as well as the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the secretary general of NATO, the Dutchman Marc Rutte.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
