Western pressure mounts on China over support for Russia

Patience is running thin with China, one of the world’s most populous countries, as it continues to fuel Russia’s economy and war machine amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Both Brussels and Washington are increasingly aligned in their efforts to impose sanctions on Beijing over its persistent enabling of Moscow during Russia’s full-scale invasion, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

This renewed Western coordination, reminiscent of previous geopolitical alignments, signals a concerted push to curb support for Russia. A senior EU diplomat revealed to correspondent Elena Giordano that Brussels is preparing sanctions targeting China’s involvement in the war effort. This move follows a July report by Reuters exposing Chinese-made drone engines covertly shipped to Russia via front companies and falsely labeled as “industrial refrigeration units” to evade sanctions.

“The report is accurate and it shows China is escalating its role, both quantitatively and qualitatively,” the diplomat said. “It’s fair to say that without Chinese support, the war would look very different right now.”

Despite confrontations from fifteen EU member states, China has either denied involvement or remained silent on these shipments. The diplomat emphasized that the EU has long been aware of the drone transfers and intends to advance sanctions after August.

“After August, we’ll push for sanctions,” the diplomat added, cautioning that the bloc should not underestimate its economic leverage. “We want dialogue, but also action.”

Beyond sanctions, the economic ties between the West and China continue to deepen in other sectors. Chinese technology giant Baidu recently announced a partnership with American ride-hailing company Lyft to deploy Chinese-built autonomous vehicles in Germany and the United Kingdom next year. Similar ventures have been revealed by Uber and Momenta earlier in 2025.

As noted by The New York Times’ Keith Bradsher, “the Chinese EVs are still the cheapest available despite the EU’s harsh tariffs,” highlighting the complex interplay between economic interests and geopolitical pressures.

By Vafa Guliyeva