Xi Jinping outrages at criticism of China over the war in Ukraine
Category
Politics
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Xi Jinping outrages at criticism of China over the war in Ukraine

Xi Jinping
Source:  The New York Times

As The New York Times reports, Chinese President Xi Jinping was outraged that many countries accused Beijing of supporting Russia amid its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Xi Jinping responded harshly to criticism from Ukraine's allies

We are against the fact that the "Ukrainian crisis" [that’s what China calls Russia's war against Ukraine — ed.] is used to shift responsibility to a third country, blacken its image and ignite a new Cold War.

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping

President of China

According to the Chinese leader, he was not at the origins of the war, was not a party to it, and, they say, did not participate in it.

Journalists noted that in this way, Xi reacted harshly to the reproaches of Ukraine's partners, primarily the USA.

It is known that official Washington is indignant that China is not only a buyer of a huge amount of Russian oil and gas, but also transfers satellite images, parts for fighter jets, microchips and other dual-purpose equipment to the Russian army.

European leaders are trying to sway Xi to their side

French leader Emmanuel Macron clarified to his Chinese colleague that "without security for Ukraine, there can be no security for Europe."

He also added that France is not at war with Russia or its people and does not seek to overthrow the Putin regime.

Macron says officials in Beijing and Paris "must maintain a close dialogue".

In addition, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that China should "use all its influence on Russia to stop its aggressive war against Ukraine."

More efforts must be made to reduce the supply of dual-use goods to Russia that end up on the battlefield. And given the existential nature of the threats stemming from this war, both for Ukraine and for Europe, it really affects the relationship between the EU and China, said von der Leyen, who took a tougher stance on China than Macron.

Category
Ukraine
Publication date

Ukraine did not receive the thousand promised drones from Lithuania. What is the reason?

Flag of Lithuania
Source:  LRT

Thousands of drones promised by Lithuania to Ukraine still remain in warehouses, although they were supposed to arrive at the end of 2024.

Points of attention

  • Bureaucracy and complex procedures are causing delays in the transfer of thousands of promised drones from Lithuania to Ukraine.
  • The Lithuanian defense leadership assures that the promised drones will be delivered to Ukraine in the near future, while manufacturers and politicians blame bureaucracy for the delays.
  • The delay in transferring drones to Ukraine has highlighted the need to review the weapons supply system to prevent future obstacles.
  • Former Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurinas Kashčiūnas explains that a series of 6 steps, including bureaucratic procedures, are hindering the timely delivery of the drones.
  • Ukraine's lack of drones due to the delay in delivery is causing significant losses, emphasizing the importance of resolving the bureaucratic challenges promptly.

Why Lithuania still hasn't delivered thousands of promised drones to Ukraine

It is noted that Lithuanian politicians claim that bureaucracy is to blame for the delays.

"We have information that we delivered the drones — some in October, some in November, and we do not yet have information that the drones are already in Ukraine," explains Tomas Milashauskas, head of the drone manufacturing company RSI Europe.

According to representatives of other manufacturing companies, they also did not receive confirmation that the drones were transferred to Ukraine.

Lithuania still has not delivered thousands of promised drones to Ukraine
Military Armed Forces of Ukraine

According to former Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurinas Kashčiūnas, the delays are due to bureaucracy.

He explains that to transfer these drones to Ukraine, 6 steps need to be completed.

"The bureaucracy is such that there are warehouses, the defense agency has to formally transfer it to the army, the government has to make a decision to transfer it to Ukraine, then Ukraine has to transport it. This means that you have to move as quickly as possible at every step," Kasciunas notes.

He emphasized that such a mechanism is quite logical, but a delay in one place stops the entire process.

Meanwhile, Milashauskas emphasizes that while the weapons are in warehouses, Ukraine is suffering losses that could be smaller.

The damage is obvious — Ukraine lacks drones, a deficit of millions, and if drones are not in the hands of soldiers, it means they are lost — Ukraine is suffering greater losses than it should have, — stressed Milashauskas.

What the Lithuanian defense leadership says

As emphasized by Gedrimas Eglinskas, Chairman of the National Security and Defense Committee, the situation with the transfer of drones to Ukraine should prompt a review of the entire supply system.

At the same time, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense assured that the purchased drones will be delivered to Ukraine in the near future.

They claim that the bureaucratic chain is already being shortened — the government adopted a corresponding resolution this week.

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