- The US ambassador to NATO said China needs to be “called out for their subsidizing” of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- NATO ambassador Matthew Whitaker said “China thinks they’re fighting a proxy war through Russia” to keep the US and its allies occupied.
- The US has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, including China, with Whitaker saying “the secondary sanctions are going to be significant”.
[…]
China’s imports of Russian oil have climbed since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Washington and other capitals allied with Kyiv view such oil purchases as a form of tacit support for Russia, helping to bolster its economy and undercut sanctions. Russia’s crude exports hit a one-month high ahead of Trump’s tariff threat on buyers of Russian oil.
[…]
Took half a year for them to realize Russia ain’t gonna turn on China. If not for China - they’d probably be on verge of default by now.
If not for China - they’d probably be on verge of default by now.
Russia had a huge warchest going into this. USD, Gold, Euros etc.
A quick search didn’t show how much they have left. Sanctions likely sapped some, spending drained more, but my guess is they had enough for at least 5 years.