Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, during a visit to Beijing, called on China to stop economic support for Russia and join international efforts to establish peace in Ukraine. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
During a two-day visit to Beijing, Tsahkna met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and other officials. The main topics of the talks were Russia's war against Ukraine and trade relations.
China says it is not part of this military conflict, but I have made it clear that China has a huge influence on Russia, more and more every week, as the Russian economy is weak.
He also noted that China's pressure on Moscow could be an important step towards ending the war.
According to Tsahkna, during the meeting he raised the issue of China supplying dual-use goods that could be used for military purposes by Russia. Beijing rejects these accusations and states that it strictly controls the export of such goods.
The parties also discussed a possible free trade agreement between the EU and China. Tsahkna stressed that Beijing's support for Russia could slow down the completion of negotiations.
Separately, the minister drew attention to the importance of China's control over the export of rare earth elements. Beijing provides more than 90% of the world's supply of these materials, which are necessary for the production of electric vehicles, semiconductors, and missiles.
I believe that we should have these negotiations, and it is also China's responsibility not to abuse this leverage.
Estonia, which considers Russia to be the main threat to its security, continues to call on international partners for unity in countering Russian aggression. Tsahkna stressed that recent violations of NATO airspace by Russia are "well-planned tests of the Alliance's unity."
Recall
Estonian special services detained pro-Russian propagandist Oleg Besedin. He is suspected of activities against the Republic of Estonia and violation of international sanctions.