European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appears on throughout a press convention.
John Thys | Afp | Getty Images
An more and more remoted Russia is now dependent on China for each its navy and financial ends, the European Commission’s president mentioned Tuesday.
Ursula von der Leyen mentioned Russia was leaning extra closely on its japanese ally because it fails to realize its goals.
“Russia is failing on strategic targets,” von der Leyen mentioned on the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “It is firstly a navy failure,” she mentioned, noting that Ukraine had up to now retained its “freedom and independence” in its nearly two-year conflict with Moscow.
“Russia’s failure can also be financial,” she continued, highlighting the affect sanctions have had in isolating the nation from commerce with Western allies.
“Russia is now dependent on China,” von der Leyen added.
Ukraine, in the meantime, is “nearer than ever” to becoming a member of the European Union, she added.
Russia’s commerce with China has surged within the wake of Western sanctions imposed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Annual bilateral commerce between the 2 nations hit nearly $200 billion final yr, which President Xi Jinping hailed as a “historic excessive.”
It comes amid rising hypothesis over Beijing’s position in fueling Moscow’s conflict, with new data final week suggesting that Chinese firms are crucial conduits in channeling Western applied sciences to Russia’s navy.