German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned China against supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine with military equipment at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday. Baerbock said supporters of Russia must understand that the Ukraine war concerns Europe's "core security interests" and for this reason backing Russia "must and will have consequences" for China.

Russia has established a weapons programme in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones for use in its war against Ukraine, two sources from a European intelligence agency told Reuters in a report published in September.

German media report that China may be producing drones for the Russian military. According to information from Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the European Union is investigating indications that Chinese drones are involved in the fighting in Ukraine.

Germany on Monday accused China of providing drone assistance to Russia in its war with Ukraine that began in February 2022 and is about to enter its 1,000th day. “This must and will have consequences,” said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Brussels.

The warning comes as the Czech foreign minister urges Europe to follow Donald Trump’s lead on China. The EU will press Beijing for answers over reports that a China-based company is producing military drones for use in Russia's war against Ukraine, a senior EU official said Friday.

Germany is starting to deliver 4,000 AI-controlled combat drones to Ukraine. The Mini-Tauruses can fly a distance of about 30 to 40 kilometres and will be "an important asset for the Ukrainian armed forces.