US sources revealed that Russia asked China Granting it military equipment and support for its military operation in Ukraine, which began on the 24th of last month.
Russia also asked China for additional economic assistance to help counter the damage to its economy caused by the extensive sanctions imposed by the United States and European and Asian countries, according to the New York Times, citing US officials.
In addition, US officials refused to provide more details about the type of military equipment Moscow is looking for.
Officials also declined to discuss China’s reaction to the requests.
‘Very disturbing’
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Washington stressed that the situation in Ukraine is very worrying, noting that the priority is to prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control.
It is noteworthy that US officials are closely watching China to see whether it will respond to requests for assistance from Russia.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (AFP)
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is scheduled to meet Monday in Rome with Yang Jiechi, a member of the elite Politburo of the Communist Party of China and director of the party’s Central Foreign Affairs Committee.
Sullivan intends to warn Yang about any future Chinese efforts to support Russia in its war or undermine the efforts of the United States and its partners.
Warnings to China
“We are communicating directly and in particular with Beijing, and we have told them that there will certainly be consequences if they help Russia evade large-scale sanctions,” Sullivan told CNN on Sunday.
“We will not allow a lifeline to Russia from any country anywhere in the world,” he added.
A meeting between the Chinese and Russian presidents in Moscow (Archive – Archyde.com)
It is noteworthy that Chinese President Xi Jinping called last Tuesday for “maximum restraint” in the Ukraine conflict, describing the crisis as “extremely worrying”, in a video summit with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Beijing has refused to condemn Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, which began on February 24, and Xi said he wants “the two sides to maintain the momentum of negotiations, overcome difficulties and continue talks in order to achieve results… and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis,” according to the station. CCTV National.