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German Foreign Minister Wadephul Blames China for Making Russia’s War on Ukraine Possible
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![Photo of Maryna Kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul sharply criticized China for providing essential support to Russia’s war against Ukraine, as reported by Politico on August 18.
His remarks came ahead of a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and other European leaders to address Moscow’s war on Kyiv.
“Russia’s war is made possible by crucial Chinese support,” Wadephul said in a speech at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo during his visit to Japan, according to Politico.
“80 percent of the dual-use goods that Russia uses come from China,” he added. “And at the same time, China is the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas. And this is a development that of course not only runs massively counter to our European security interests, but also those of our partners in the Indo-Pacific.”
Wadephul argued that Beijing’s actions “show that China preaches the principles of non-interference and territorial integrity, but in reality undermines them.”
He also pointed to North Korea’s role in supplying Russia with ammunition and troops—support that, he said, would not be possible without China’s approval.
“If Russia is firing North Korean artillery shells on Ukraine today, then this undermines the security order in Europe, but it also upsets the balance of power in Asia. Because it is clear that Russia is showing its gratitude to North Korea for this assistance by transferring technology and expertise,” Wadephul noted.
Trump, meanwhile, has threatened secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russian energy and has already announced a 50 percent tariff on India for buying Russian oil. So far, however, he has refrained from imposing similar measures on China, Politico wrote.
Previously, it was reported that Russian oil producers are rushing to divert shipments of their main Urals crude to China after India—until recently one of Moscow’s largest customers—began cutting back purchases following new US trade penalties, according to Bloomberg on August 8.
