Finnish President Alexander Stubb has suggested that China could play a decisive role in ending the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which has persisted for over two years since February 2022. He noted that Russia’s high dependence on China could be pivotal in resolving the conflict.
During an interview with Bloomberg in Helsinki on Tuesday, Stubb stated, “Russia is overly dependent on China right now” and added that “a single phone call from Chinese President Xi Jinping could resolve the Ukraine war.” Stubb stated that Russia would have no choice but to comply if Xi pushes for peace negotiations.
According to Bloomberg statistics, China accounted for about 28% of Russia’s total trade last year, up from 19% in 2021. In contrast, the European Union’s (EU) share in Russian trade during the same period shrank from 36% to 17%.
They also analyzed Stubb’s remarks to demonstrate growing dissatisfaction among Ukraine’s allies with China’s support for Russia’s war. The nations aligned with Ukraine criticize China for providing weapons and helping Russia circumvent international trade sanctions. Stubb further emphasized that ending the war against Ukraine would also benefit China and that protecting international rules related to territory and sovereignty is an opportunity to demonstrate China’s leadership.
However, Stubb mentioned that pushing for a ceasefire is impossible and explained that “the more we can help Ukraine, the sooner we will end the war.”
While Xi has criticized Russia’s attacks on civilians and threats of nuclear weapon use, he has portrayed China as a neutral actor in discussions about the war. China fundamentally respects only the punishments supported by the UN, opposes international sanctions, and criticizes the US and its allies for providing weapons to Ukraine and fueling the war.
After meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on May 16th, Xi urged Russia and Ukraine to participate in resolving the issue.
Meanwhile, Xi and Putin will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 3rd.
Following Putin’s visit to North Korea last month, the two leaders are expected to discuss longstanding issues such as the war in Ukraine, the increasingly fast-paced North Korea-Russia cooperation, and the Korean Peninsula.
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