On the 24th (local time), the European Union (EU) stated that it requested the Chinese leadership to help stop North Korea's military support for Russia.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, and António Costa, Chair of the Summit, said during a summit held in Beijing that 'North Korea's supply of troops and weapons to Russia poses a serious threat not only to Europe but also to security in East Asia.'
The EU leadership pointed out through a press release that Russia's invasion war poses an existential threat to global security beyond Ukraine, emphasizing China's responsibility as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The EU leadership also reiterated its call not to provide any material support necessary to sustain Russia's military-industrial complex.
The EU leadership's direct questioning of North Korea's support for Russia during consecutive meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang is interpreted as a judgment that China has consistently maintained a 'passive' attitude since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022.
Earlier this month, Wang Yi, Director General of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (also serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs), reportedly said during a meeting with Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, that if Russia loses the war, the focus of the United States could shift to China, indicating that 'Russia's defeat in the war is intolerable.' Kallas later expressed surprise in a media interview by unusually revealing that Director General Wang made such a statement.