A US official said Russia has asked China for military equipment to use in its invasion of Ukraine, heightening tensions just before a meeting in Rome between delegates from Beijing and Washington.
Shortly before the meeting in Rome, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan emphatically warned China not to help Russia evade international sanctions.
“We will not allow that to happenSullivan said. China, for its part, accused the United States of spreading “disinformation”.
Chinese broadcaster CCTV reported that the talks began at around 11:50 am Rome time (10:50 GMT), but did not provide further details.
The possibility that China is giving economic aid to Russia is one of several concerns for President Joe Biden. An official US source, asking not to be identified to discuss sensitive issues, said Russia had in recent days asked China for support, including military equipment, to use in its invasion of Ukraine.
The official did not give details or the magnitude of the request. The first to report on this request were the Financial Times and The Washington Post.
The US government has also accused China of spreading Russian disinformation in an attempt to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a pretext to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has left China in a dilemma with respect to its two main trading partners: the United States and the European Union (EU). Beijing needs access to those markets, but at the same time has shown support for Russia, saying that the friendship between the two nations “it does not have limits”.
In his talks with Chinese foreign adviser Yang Jiechi, Sullivan will actually have to probe the limits of the relationship between Beijing and Moscow.
“I’m not going to sit here making threats.Sullivan said in an interview with CNN on Sunday. “But what I am going to say is that we are communicating to Beijing, directly and privately, that there will definitely be consequences.” if China helps Russia recover from economic sanctions.
“We will not tolerate that, we will not tolerate any country in the world helping Russia to evade sanctions.”, he added.
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
