Blinken: Russia is producing weapons faster than ever before in its history
Over the past year, Russia has produced new weapons, including ammunition, missiles, tanks, and armored vehicles, faster than ever before in its modern history, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a conversation with the President of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende, in Saudi Arabia.
After his visit to China, during which Blinken discussed with the country's highest representation, including the war in Ukraine, he stated that Russia began to produce new weapons because "it is getting massive inputs supply" of machine tools, microelectronics, and optics. He noted that these items come to Russia mainly from China.
"Seventy percent of the machine tools, 90 percent of the microelectronics are coming from China. Now, these are dual-use items, but we know very clearly where so many of them are going," Blinken said.
According to the U.S. Secretary of State, this poses two problems: the ability of the Russian army to continue the war against Ukraine and the ability to restore Russia's defense industrial base.
"So at the very time that Russia is seeking better relations with countries in Europe, it’s also fueling the greatest challenge to European security since the end of the Cold War. And as I shared with my Chinese colleagues, you can’t have it both ways," he said.
Blinken noted that he is aware of European leaders' concerns about China's support for Russia's defense industrial base. According to him, this poses a threat not only to Ukraine's security but also to the security of all of Europe.
"I'm not going to put a label on it other than to say that they [China] have heard us clearly, but I think as important – maybe more important – they are hearing this from European countries," he added.
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