China, Russia and Ukraine: An Overlooked Moment at the Munich Security Conference

In an interview at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) last month, MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger asked Wang Yi, the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Minister of Foreign Affairs, “What can China do, what can China contribute to convince Russia to finally end this war and to withdraw from Ukraine?” Yi largely deflected, ending with, “China is not a party directly involved. We don’t have a say.”

On the contrary, China is directly involved in supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, which gives Beijing “a say.” Without PRC support, Russia would be unable to prosecute its war against Ukraine, meaning ending that backing would be the fastest way to achieve peace.

Economic Support

The PRC has supplanted India, which bowed to White House pressure, as the Kremlin’s top oil customer. Renminbi from Beijing are  an economic lifeline to Russia, an otherwise failing state. China’s Russian oil purchases are climbing for the third straight month, with Beijing on target to receive 2.07 million barrels per day of Russian crude during February. Independent PRC refiners, known as teapots, are the world’s largest consumers of US-sanctioned oil, including from Russia. China also keeps the Kremlin economy afloat by supplying consumer goods and industrial equipment. The PRC’s exports to Russia have increased 121% compared to an overall 29% increase in Chinese exports globally.

Weapons Support

In the weeks leading up to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced their “no limits partnership.” China has honored that pledge, supplying weapons components to Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine since the first weeks of the conflict. Many of the dual-use items that Russia currently lacks the capacity to manufacture are supplied by China, such as microelectronics, optical devices, and machine tools, all vital to assemble military equipment like drones and missiles. Russian imports of semiconductors for military equipment increased significantly over the course of the war, with the PRC supplying 89% of Russia’s microchips. To underscore their partnership on this product, Xi and Putin pledged to “maintain the stability of industrial trade” in response to Western sanctions on semiconductors.

The significance of drones in the Russo-Ukraine conflict cannot be overstated. China provides advanced designs to the Kremlin, as well as drone components. There is increasing evidence that the PRC is also producing armed drones for Moscow. Ukrainian intelligence and security services claim that Beijing is supplying Russia with gunpowder, navigation equipment, jet parts, and artillery.

Warfighter Support

In April 2025, Ukraine captured two Chinese nationals fighting in the Russian army, confirming long-held suspicions that China was actively engaged in the war. Ukrainian intelligence and security services believe the number of soldiers from the PRC is significantly higher than the number of Chinese POWs in Ukrainian custody. According to Le Monde, at least 40 users of the PRC social media app Douyin, which is only available in China, have posted about fighting alongside Russians.

North Korean troops have also been at war against Ukraine for months, with reports that 11,000 North Korean soldiers are currently stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has established new housing for the families of the 6,000 North Korean servicemen killed in the war against Ukraine. As it is economically dependent on the PRC, North Korea would not send mercenaries to Russia without Beijing’s blessing.

During the MSC interview, Ischinger pressed Yi further, “When this war broke out … you made a very important statement then, namely that China remained committed to the fundamental principles of the United Nations, including territorial integrity and sovereignty … would you say again today that China remains committed to the idea of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine today?” Once again, the Foreign Minister avoided the question, ending his statement with, “We will continue to be a force for peace in the world.”

China has the power to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia, as halting economic and military support to the Kremlin would bring the conflict to a rapid conclusion. Without PRC support, Putin cannot continue to fight, and with a Russian ceasefire, the war will end. Yi told his EU counterpart Kaja Kallas in July 2025 that “Beijing is not willing to accept a Russian defeat in Ukraine as this could allow the United States to turn its full attention to China,” providing a clue as to why PRC support for Putin is unlikely to end anytime soon.