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Tougher China criticism by Volodymyr Zelensky over Ukraine complicates troubled Sino-EU ties
- ‘Gloves are off’ as Ukrainian leader is described as having lost patience with Beijing, accusing it of acting as Vladimir Putin’s ‘instrument’
- Zelensky’s remarks could embolden European capitals to take a tougher line vis-à-vis China’s relations with Russia, analysts say
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Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
Fresh concerns about Chinese suspected support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were adding further strain to Beijing’s already fraught relationship with Europe on Tuesday, ahead of a mammoth month for bilateral ties.
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On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky broke from his customary cautious rhetoric on China to accuse it of working with Moscow to undermine a Kyiv-backed peace summit in Switzerland this month.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security summit in Singapore, Zelensky said Moscow was doing “everything to disrupt the peace summit” by using “Chinese influence on the region” and diplomats to do so, he said.
“It is unfortunate that such a big, independent, powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of [Vladimir] Putin,” said the Ukrainian leader, referring to Russia’s president.
Zelensky urges China to help end Ukraine war
The remarks were being parsed across Europe on Monday, with senior sources suggesting they would embolden capitals to adopt a tougher line vis-à-vis China’s relations with Russia.
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They came on the heels of US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell’s visit last week to Brussels, where he warned Nato allies that Beijing was helping Russia retool parts of its military and providing significant battlefield hardware.
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