The European Union has no evidence that China is planning to send arms to Russia, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She made the statement at a press
conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said that China had informed Germany that it would not supply Russia with weapons for its war against Ukraine. The US has expressed concern about the possibility that China could provide lethal support to Moscow, including kamikaze drones. However, neither Scholz nor Borrell mentioned the possibility of sanctions against China in case it does supply Russia with weapons.
The assurances from China to Germany and the EU appear to contradict the view that Beijing might send arms to Moscow, which has been voiced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others. The idea of China providing weapons to Russia has also prompted warnings from European politicians, including Scholz, who called on Beijing to refrain from doing so and instead to use its influence to persuade Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
Scholz's comments came as a surprise, given that China has not publicly rejected the possibility of weapons deliveries to Russia. Borrell had received similar private assurances from China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, last month during a discussion at the Munich Security Conference. Borrell said that Yi had told him that China "will not provide arms to Russia," adding that "we have to remain vigilant."
The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, passed a law last year authorizing the use of military force to protect the country's interests abroad. Some observers have suggested that this could be interpreted as a green light for China to provide lethal assistance to Russia. However, China has denied any intention of doing so.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has entered its eighth year, with Russia annexing Crimea in 2014 and supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. The situation escalated in November 2022 when Russia sent troops and weapons to the border with Ukraine, prompting fears of a full-scale invasion. Western powers, including the EU and the US, have imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. Photo by Steffen Prößdorf, Wikimedia commons.