BRUSSELS — It would be a “red line” for the European Union if China sent weapons to Russia, the EU’s foreign policy chief said on Monday.
Josep Borrell’s warning came two days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed ‘deep concern’ that China was considering providing ‘potentially deadly assistance’ to Russia for its war on the coronavirus. ‘Ukraine.
Recalling a meeting he had on Saturday with senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, Borrell told reporters: “I expressed our deep concern about China’s supply of arms to Russia. I asked him not to do that, and expressing not only our concern, but the fact that for us, it would be a red line in our relationship.
“He told me they weren’t going to do it, they weren’t planning on doing it,” Borrell said, adding, “But we will remain vigilant.”
Other EU foreign ministers attending a Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels have also warned Beijing not to cross that line.
“If such a decision is made [by China] there will certainly be consequences, of course,” said Tobias Billström, Sweden’s Foreign Minister, which holds the rotating EU Council Presidency. “We stand with the United States on this message.”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the EU would be on the same page as the United States if Chinese weapons end up in Russian hands.
“There were those who expected the West…not to be united in the face of the Russian attack on Ukraine, but we were united. So I think that, drawing from this lesson, there would be enough arguments for China not to help Russia in its genocidal war in Ukraine,” Landsbergis said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also urged China to remain “pragmatic”.
“I have personally called on the Chinese leadership through direct channels and publicly not to offer support to the Russians in this war. I hope Beijing will maintain a pragmatic attitude, because otherwise we risk a third world war, I think. they are well aware of this,” he said in an interview with Italian media. “Our relationship with China has always been excellent, we have had intense economic relations for many years, and it is in the interest of all that they do not change.”
Chinese state-owned defense firms were found shipping navigational equipment, jamming technology and fighter jet parts to sanctioned Russian government-owned defense firms, the Wall Street Journal reported. early this month.
Nicolas Camut contributed reporting.
Politico
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