Overview
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on June 15 the bloc had verified reports that Chinese military facilities trained about 200 Russian personnel, with a focus on drone and counter‑drone operations.
- The allegations echo a Reuters report that a dual‑language agreement signed on July 2, 2025, set out reciprocal training and that some trainees returned to fight in Ukraine.
- On June 15 the EU added two mainland Chinese manufacturers and two Hong Kong shipping firms to its sanctions list for supplying dual‑use drone parts, chemical additives and services that enabled Russian exports.
- China has rejected the claims and called them slander, and Brussels has begun a broader reassessment of diplomatic and economic ties with Beijing ahead of EU leaders’ talks on June 17 and trade discussions later in June.
- The focus on drone and counter‑drone training raises the prospect of stricter export controls on dual‑use technology and deeper disruptions to trade and logistics that could tighten compliance rules for companies dealing with China and Russia.