Ukraine crisis: US warns China against helping Russia

The US says China faces harsh “consequences” if it helps Russia invade Ukraine, according to US media reports.

According to reports, unnamed officials told several US news outlets that Russia asked for military assistance from China after the invasion began.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it was unaware of the request.

The warning comes ahead of a meeting in Rome on Monday between senior US and Chinese officials.

Since the crisis began, Beijing has expressed strong rhetorical support for long-time ally Moscow, but it is not publicly known to have provided any military or economic support.

However, local media, citing US officials, report that in recent days Russia has specifically asked China for military equipment, including drones. China’s response to this request is unknown.

In a CNN interview, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said they are “communicating directly and privately with Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale efforts to circumvent sanctions or help Russia to fill them.

“We will not allow this to proceed and allow Russia to receive a lifeline from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.”

He added that the US believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “planning something” before the invasion, Beijing “may not have understood the full extent of it”.

“Because that’s very possible [Mr] Putin has lied to them as well as Europeans and others,” Mr. Sullivan said.

Mr. Sullivan is due to meet Yang Jiechi, a member of China’s top decision-making body, the Politburo and head of the Central Commission on Foreign Affairs, in Rome on Monday.

Reuters news agency quoted a US official as saying that during the meeting Mr. Sullivan will lay out the consequences and isolation China would face if it increased its support for Russia.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, told US media he had not heard of Russia’s request. He added: “It is now a high priority that the tense situation does not escalate or even get out of control.”

China has so far refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion, saying Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns” should be taken seriously.

Chinese state media and government officials in recent days have not only repeated Russia’s official line that it was a “special military operation” and not an invasion, but also repeated Russian disinformation claims about the war.

But Beijing has simultaneously expressed “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty. It has also called for peace, saying it is ready to end the war through diplomacy. Several countries have urged China to do more to stop the Russian invasion.

EU and US help Ukraine, China helps Russia; If that’s the case, then it’s a demarcation that will make the war in Ukraine even more serious.

The White House has decided to make its claim public just as President Biden’s top national security adviser is scheduled to meet with China’s top diplomat. It seems like a tactical move to put pressure on China; presumably to confirm or deny it.

The larger goal may be to try to get Xi Jinping to weigh the pros and cons of his current position of “rock-solid” relationship with Moscow.

Remember that just weeks ago, when the Beijing Winter Olympics opened, Presidents Xi and Putin declared a new alliance without borders. Military aid could, of course, be part of it.

But in the days following the Russian invasion, China has condemned Britain, the US and others for arming Ukraine’s military, saying they were “putting fuel on the fire”.

If the US intelligence community’s assessment is correct and Beijing complies with this request, then they too would “add fuel”.