China expanding aid for Russia’s war, Western officials say

China increased its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2025 and is likely to deepen cooperation with Moscow further this year, Western officials said, casting doubt on efforts by European leaders to improve relations with Beijing.

President Xi Jinping has become more assertive and confident in his supporting Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and attempts by the Europeans to persuade their Chinese counterparts to help end the war have become more challenging over the past year, the officials said.

Russia’s war in Ukraine wouldn’t be able to continue without ongoing Chinese support, particularly the export of dual-use components and critical minerals used in Russian drone production, the officials said. They described Beijing as the key facilitator of the war.

“China could call Vladimir Putin and end this war tomorrow,” US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said during a panel late Friday at the Munich Security Conference. “This war is being completely enabled by China.”

The private assessments, shared with Bloomberg on condition of anonymity, are more pessimistic than most Western leaders’ public statements on China’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war. 

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave an address to the Munich conference in which he reiterated his country’s position on Ukraine, saying China is not a party that’s directly involved and “doesn’t have the final say” on any political settlement. Instead, Beijing was continuing...