The US President Donald Trump is refraining from pressuring China for its assistance to the Russian military machine because he wants to focus on bilateral problems in relations with Beijing, his biggest geopolitical rival.
Bloomberg writes about this, citing American and European officials.
The US White House is set to focus more on relations with China, pushing Russiaʼs full-scale war against Ukraine to the back of the list of US foreign policy priorities. However, Trump could change his position at any moment, some sources say.
If Washington does indeed follow this course, it will be a departure from the long-standing policy of the US and the G7 countries, which hold China responsible for supporting Russia and call on Beijing to use its influence to force Putin to the negotiating table.
In a recent conversation between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the first since the inauguration of the American president, the latter emphasized: “Nothing was discussed about Russia or Ukraine.”
Another Bloomberg source explained that the Trump team wants to abandon the approach of Joe Biden, who viewed all international relations through the prism of the war in Ukraine. The United States and China have many controversial issues — customs tariffs, restrictions on technology, the supply of rare earth elements. Therefore, Washington seeks to use its leverage in matters that it considers more important for US national interests than the war in Ukraine.
However, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham continues to push for new sanctions against Russia. He is pushing a bill, supported by more than 80 senators, that would ban China and India from buying cheap Russian oil.
American officials have also criticized European partners for still buying energy from Russia, even as they publicly accuse Beijing of supplying Moscow with dual-use goods. The EUʼs top diplomat Kaja Kallas has accused China of fueling the war through its exports of dual-use goods.
Russia has learned to circumvent sanctions and obtain prohibited technologies and spare parts used in weapons production. Mostly through imports from China. In addition, according to Bloomberg, China has reduced supplies of drones and spare parts to Ukraine and Western countries, but has continued to do so for Russia.
- The administration of former US President Joe Biden and the European Union imposed sanctions on several Chinese companies for helping Russia manufacture drones and supply key components. Trump, however, has not yet initiated any new sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine.
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