Pressure Mounts on EU to Push Beijing to Halt Russian Oil Imports

The European Union is expected to take new measures against China’s economy.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin opens a throttle during the opening ceremony for the Russian section of the Russia-China oil pipeline in the far eastern region of Amur on Aug. 29, 2010. Alexey Druzhinin / Ria Novosti / AFP via Getty Images

Amid U.S. criticism of Beijing’s Russian oil imports fueling Moscow’s war against Ukraine, the European Union is facing U.S. pressure to target China’s economy with tariffs while urging it to help bring an end to the war.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, said on Sept. 24 that she asked Chinese Premier Li Qiang to use Beijing’s “influence to help bring an end to the killing [in the war] and encourage Russia to go to the negotiating table.”