Finland Accuses China of Fueling Russia’s War Efforts
Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen has accused China of providing substantial military and economic support to Russia, describing their cooperation as a significant challenge to NATO. Beijing has denied these allegations, emphasizing that its trade with Russia is lawful and balanced. The Finnish minister highlighted China’s involvement in joint military exercises and its role in funding Russia’s war efforts.
The Russian economy has grown steadily despite Western sanctions, with Moscow arguing that these measures are counterproductive. Finland also noted that the expanding partnership between Moscow and Beijing poses a challenge for the US-led military bloc, as Nordic nations discuss tripling ammunition production. Beijing has called for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict, accusing the West of double standards and asserting it has never supplied lethal weapons to either side. China has refused to join Western sanctions on Russia, instead expanding bilateral trade that has nearly doubled since 2020, surpassing $240 billion last year. The two nations have largely abandoned Western currencies in trade, using rubles and yuan instead, a shift Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov recently highlighted. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western nations against adopting a ‘colonial’ tone toward China and India or seeking to ‘punish’ them for trading with Moscow.