The European Union is preparing possible sanctions against China due to its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine. This was revealed in a statement by a European diplomat. According to him, the initiative for new restrictions could be implemented as early as after August.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Reasons for Sanctions and Investigation into China
A key factor for this decision was an investigation published in July 2025 by Reuters journalists. The report states that the Russian military factory “Kupol” is receiving drone engines from China through intermediary companies, disguising them as “industrial refrigeration units.” This allows them to avoid direct oversight and sanctions that are in place on Russia’s defense sector.
European diplomats had previously been aware of such supplies, but it was the results of the journalistic investigation that raised serious concerns in Brussels. Representatives from 15 EU member states expressed grievances towards Beijing, but the Chinese authorities either deny their involvement or evade responses to official inquiries.
“It can be confidently said that without China’s support, the war would look completely different now,” claims a source from Politico.
China and Russia’s Military Cooperation
Reuters has been tracking the growing cooperation between China and Russia in the field of defense technologies for some time. In September 2024, it was reported that the “Kupol” factory in Izhevsk (part of the Almaz-Antey concern) began assembling new long-range strike drones “Garpia-A1.” Chinese engines and components are used in the production of these drones. Additionally, Russia has already launched a program for the development and production of strike drones at one of the factories in China.
The European Union is considering the possibility of imposing sanctions as one of the tools to pressure China to stop supporting the Russian military industry. A decision on the final list of sanctions may be made very soon.