EU foreign policy chief: China providing arms to Russia ‘would be red line’
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The EU’s top diplomat warned China against providing Russia weapons for its war on Ukraine, after Beijing dismissed US allegations that it was considering sending arms.
Josep Borrell said he told China’s top diplomat Wang Yi at a meeting over the weekend that “for us, it would be a red line in our relationship.”
“He told me that they are not going to do it, that they don’t plan to do it. But we will remain vigilant,” Borrell said at a press briefing.
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said China was now “considering providing lethal support” to Moscow ranging “from ammunition to the weapons themselves”.
But China insisted these allegations were “false” and said it was Washington that was fuelling the conflict by arming Ukraine’s forces.
The EU has backed Ukraine heavily since Moscow launched its all-out invasion a year ago, providing Kyiv with weapons and financial aid worth billions of euros.
There has been widespread concern about Beijing’s deeping relationship with Moscow and its refusal to condemn the Kremlin’s aggression outright.
Politico.com reported that Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom warned that if China did start supplying arms to Russia then “it would definitely have consequences”.
“We need to pressure by all means also and give a warning to China that the international community will anyhow not accept it,” Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu added.
While the EU issued warnings to Beijing, the bloc was also weighing up plans to try to speed up its production and delivery of much-needed ammunition to help Kyiv’s fight.
