Over the past year, Russia has learned to produce new weapons and ammunition faster than at any time in its modern history, particularly during the Cold War.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said this during a conversation with the President of the World Economic Forum Berge Brende in Saudi Arabia.
According to Blinken, Russia has managed to speed up the pace of weapons production thanks to huge supplies of machine tools, microelectronics and optics, mainly from China.
"70% of machines, 90% of microelectronics come from China. These are dual-use goods, but we know very clearly where so much of it goes,” Blinken said.
Blinken noted that Russian aid from China creates two problems at once: it allows Russia to continue the war against Ukraine and contributes to the restoration of the Russian defense and industrial base. The US Secretary of State emphasized that Russia will use this weapon against European countries when it "finishes with Ukraine."
"So, at the same time that Russia is seeking better relations with the countries of Europe, it is also fueling the biggest challenge to European security since the end of the Cold War. And as I told my Chinese colleagues, you canʼt have both," Blinken emphasized.
At the same time, Blinken said that China does not directly supply Russia with weapons, missiles and ammunition, as Iran and North Korea do. However, the PRC provides "invaluable support" to the Russian defense and industrial base, which helps the Russian Federation to circumvent sanctions, export controls and other measures.
- Recently, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. He warned Xi about the inadmissibility of supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine and threatened to impose sanctions.
- Last week, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Russiaʼs military-industrial complex is already producing weapons and ammunition in surplus — part of what is produced does not go to the front, but ends up in warehouses. The number of weapons exceeds the needs of the Russian Federation for the war against Ukraine. That is, the Kremlin is preparing for a larger-scale war in Europe.