Η Russia now poses the «most immediate threat» to international order since its military invasion of Ukraine, the President of the European Commission said today in Tokyo, Ursula von der Leyen.
Russia «is today the most immediate threat to the world order, with its brutal war against Ukraine and its alarming agreement with China», Ms von der Leyen said after talks with the President of the European Council. Charles Michel, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The two top European officials are in Tokyo today for the annual round of Japan-EU talks, held this time in the midst of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and against the backdrop of growing concerns about China's military ambitions.
«Russia's invasion of Ukraine does not only concern Europe, it shakes the heart of the international order, and in Asia. It must not be tolerated,» said Mr. Kishida, whose government has adopted some of the Western sanctions against Moscow, particularly in the financial and energy sectors.
At the same time, the more aggressive attitude that the West and its allies in Asia accuse China of is also on the agenda, with the EU seeking to play a more active role.
«Our cooperation in Ukraine is critical in Europe, but it is also important in the Indo-Pacific region, and we also want to deepen our consultations on China, which is becoming increasingly assertive,» Michel said.
«We believe that China must reaffirm that it will defend the multilateral system from which it has benefited to develop,» he added.
She said that the EU and Japan will strengthen their cooperation, especially through a digital partnership, a first for Europe, which will address competitiveness and security in this field.
He added that the two parties will work together to «diversify and strengthen» their supply chains.
«This is important because there are materials and technologies that have become indispensable to our economy and our daily lives, such as semiconductors, for example. We must be able to count on reliable supply chains,» the Commission President said.
