French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his “deep concern” to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about military cooperation between Russia and North Korea during a phone conversation, while also calling on Beijing to make a “significant contribution” to humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations to Palestinian civilians.
Macron and Xi spoke by phone on Monday, and according to a French presidential official, “[France] would like for China to realise to what extent this is a problematic development for France and the entire European Union.
“It [the cooperation] would naturally lead to fuelling the scope of the Russian aggression” against Ukraine, the official told reporters.
Russia has become a pariah in the West after launching full-scale hostilities in Ukraine last year and has looked to strengthen historic ties with North Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un at a Far East spaceport in September.
In October, the White House said that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for use in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has deepened its economic, diplomatic and military cooperation with Moscow since the start of the war in February 2022.
According to Paris – during Macron’s state visit to China in April – Xi said he was ready to work with France “to create conditions for talks” between Moscow and Kyiv.
