China could supply Russia with weapons for the war against Ukraine for the first time. The High Representative of the EU for foreign policy Josep Borrell informed the EU countries about this and noted that this should have consequences.
The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes about it.
The European Union is considering the introduction of sanctions against China against the background of its alleged supply of weapons to the Russian Federation. Josep Borrell, citing intelligence, said the evidence was "convincing" and demonstrated the "transfer of lethal aid" to Russia.
"Now we must consider the entire set of tools at the disposal of the EU," the diplomat emphasized.
The tools include new sanctions, including a ban on doing business with Chinese companies, an asset freeze and a ban on entry into EU countries. However, talks about sanctions are still at an early stage.
At the same time, Borrell believes that it is worth holding talks directly with China.
“You [China] have always said you want to be neutral. You are not neutral. You are feeding the beast,” he added.
The German newspaper also recalled that at the end of September it became known that a subsidiary of the Russian state arms company "Almaz-Antey" called "Kupol" had developed and tested a new long-range combat drone in China, and the company also planned to establish mass production of drones there for the war against of Ukraine.
- The USA for the first time imposed sanctions on Chinese companies that produce drones for Russia — "Harpies". The development of the Harpy prototype probably began in the first half of 2023, and already in the second half of 2023 production reached several hundred. In 2024, production doubled to nearly 2 000 units.
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