Von der Leyen insists that China’s position is “crucial” to resolve the war in Ukraine

Warns China not to supply weapons “directly or indirectly” to Russia

6 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has reiterated this Thursday that China’s position is “crucial” to resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine, and has valued Beijing’s calls to avoid not only the use, but also the threat of using nuclear weapons.

Von der Leyen held a three-way meeting in Beijing this Thursday with the Chinese president and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, also on an official trip to the ‘Asian giant’, where they have addressed not only issues related to the conflict in Ukraine, but also economic and climate issues.

“China’s role is important and we want it to promote a just peace that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Von der Leyen said at a press conference, where he stressed that this is one of the fundamental points of the Charter. of United Nations.

On this point, the head of the European Executive has stressed that, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and after decades of friendship with Russia, China must “use its influence” to try to convince Moscow to stop its aggression. about Kiev. “We count on China to be very clear,” she said.

Thus, Von der Leyen has warned Beijing not to send weapons “directly or indirectly” to Russia, since in such a case it would be in some way violating international law by arming an “aggressor” State, and it would also “damage relations”. between the European Union and China.

However, the president of the European Commission has once again valued Beijing’s commitment against the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict, and has expressed concern about Russia’s announcement to deploy this type of weapon in the territory of Belarus , Moscow’s main ally in Eastern Europe.

ECONOMIC RELATIONS “AT DISADVANTAGE”

On the other hand, Von der Leyen has reported that in his meeting with Xi he has addressed not only the geopolitical situation, but also the economic relationship that Brussels maintains with Beijing and that, from his point of view, it is unbalanced due to the fact that the European Union is “at a disadvantage”.

For the president of the Commission, it is necessary for China and the European Union to resolve the “imbalances and risks derived from dependencies and the export of sensitive technology” in a context in which the EU is the main destination for the export of goods from the ‘ Asian giant’.

However, products manufactured on EU territory face “discriminatory” obstacles in China, especially due to particularly economically isolationist legislation. Thus, Von der Leyen has advocated resolving these issues through diplomatic channels.