Head of European Commission calls on Xi Jinping to influence Russia's nuclear ambitions
Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to use his influence on Russia and its nuclear ambitions, informs Tagesschau.
She noted that Xi played a significant role in "de-escalating Russia's irresponsible nuclear threats."
"I am confident that President Xi will continue to do so against the backdrop of the ongoing nuclear threats by Russia," she added.
According to von der Leyen, China should also continue its efforts to "stop the delivery of dual-use goods to Russia that end up on the battlefield." The President of the European Commission emphasized that this is also important for EU-China relations.
Nuclear threats of Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly resorted to Western nuclear threats. For example, in his address to the Federal Assembly, he declared "full readiness" of his nuclear forces and complained about the involvement of Ukraine's allies in the war.
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk believes that the dictator's words should be taken seriously and preparations should be made for a worst-case scenario.
At the same time, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană noted that Russia's regular nuclear threats should be perceived as psychological rather than a real threat.
On May 6th, Putin instructed the Russian Ministry of Defense to conduct exercises with tactical nuclear weapons.
