Washington says China is the main contributor to Russia’s military industry, providing Moscow with weapons equipment, amid difficulties Moscow is facing over the attack in Ukraine. The comments were made on Friday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the G7 ministerial meeting in Capri, Italy.
“China is currently the main contributor to Russia’s defense industry. It is providing machine tools, semiconductors and other dual-use equipment that have helped Russia rebuild its defense industrial base, severely degraded by sanctions and the imposition of export controls,” he said.
Secretary Blinken said that China cannot continue to have both ways of helping Russia and maintaining good relations with Europe.
“If China claims on the one hand that it wants good relations with Europe and other countries, on the other hand it cannot be the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War,” Mr Blinken told a news conference. after the meeting of foreign ministers. He urged his European counterparts to increase pressure on Beijing.
“Help for Ukraine necessary”
Mr Blinken said that if aid to Ukraine is delayed further, there is a real risk that it will arrive when it will be too late. He underlined that it is imperative that Ukraine receives more aid and immediately.
Kiev said at least eight people were killed in overnight Russian attacks in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Interior Ministry said six people, including two children, were killed in the Synelnykivsky area southeast of Dnipro and two others were killed in Dnipro.
In a message on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that the attack damaged a residential building and a train station.
“Every country that provides air defense systems to Ukraine, every leader who helps convince our partners that air defense systems should not be stored in warehouses, but deployed in cities and communities facing terror, and anyone who supports our defense is a savior,” Mr. Zelenskyy wrote on social media, in an appeal to allies for better air defense systems.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced that it shot down 15 missiles and 14 drones during the attack. The military also said it shot down a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber for the first time. The Russian warplane is capable of carrying long-range missiles that are being used to attack Ukrainian cities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the strategic bomber had crashed in Stavropol, a Russian region hundreds of kilometers from Ukrainian-held territory, while returning to base after carrying out a combat mission. The statement said that one of the four crew members had died and another was missing. Two others were taken to a local medical center.
In his speech on Thursday evening, Mr Zelenskyy said the army is on track to produce 10 Bohdana howitzer rounds this month. “This is a good result”, for the production of protective materials in the country, he said.
Mr. Zelenskyy added that Ukraine and its partners will “work together” to counter Russian influence and cope with technological challenges.
