RUSSIA — Even with the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, EU member states continued to purchase large amounts of Russian raw materials, which, in fact, helped finance the Kremlin’s war machine. …Fears often circulate in the Russian media that China might one day seize Russia’s Siberia and Far East territories by force. However, Beijing does not need to do this, as Moscow itself provides the necessary access and resources for virtually nothing. Today, Chinese companies own thousands of hectares of forests in Siberia and the Far East on long-term leases, and all the wood that is sourced from these areas is sent to China. Meanwhile, in the Far East, with its huge forest resources, not a single pulp and paper mill can be found. This is most likely because its products would be more expensive than raw roundwood, and China is keen to source cheap raw materials.