Last updated on October 9th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
WASHINGTON — Russia asked China to give it military equipment and support for the war in Ukraine after President Vladimir V. Putin began a full-scale invasion last month, according to US Officials. (Source: www.nytimes.com)
Russia is seeking military weapons and aid which American officials refuse to give more details on given the fact that they would like to keep secret their means of collecting intelligence on the request. China declined to discuss any response to the requests.
Einar Tangen, senior international fellow at the Taihe Institute, a China-based think-tank, has told Al Jazeera Beijing was not interested in providing military support.
Top of the Russian military request list to China are armed drones and various forms of ammunition, but any military transfers would not be straightforward given the international communities response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
American officials have said that there are indications that Russia’s military is running out of weaponry and one added that the U.S was “preparing to warn its allies” due to signs that Beijing may be prepared to help Moscow, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the news.
Additionally, Russia has asked China for additional economic assistance to counteract the economic damage its economy has suffered from broad sanctions imposed by the United States and European and Asian nations.
Chinese officials have consistently voiced sympathy for Russia during the Ukraine war by reiterating Mr. Putin’s criticism of NATO and blaming the United States for starting the conflict.
China even abstained on the United Nations votes censuring Russia and criticised economic sanctions against Moscow. It has expressed its support for peace talks and offered its services as a mediator, despite questions about its neutrality and scant experience mediating international conflict.
The White House criticized China last week for spreading Kremlin disinformation about the United States and Ukraine. Chinese diplomats, state media organizations and government agencies have used various platforms and official social media accounts to amplify a theory that suggests that the Pentagon could be financing biological and chemical weapons laboratories in Ukraine.
Sullivan earlier on Sunday said that “we are communicating directly privately to Beijing that large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia will have consequences.”. We do not believe there should be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country.
