Russia asked China for assistance in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials warn.
The New York Times reported that Russian officials sought military equipment and support from their Chinese counterparts as the invasion of Ukraine — launched last month by Russian President Vladimir Putin — continues.
Russian leaders also sought economic assistance from China to help lessen the burden of sanctions issued by Western nations that have devastated the Russian economy.
American officials declined to describe the specific hardware requested by the Russian government.
Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, said that China will “absolutely” face consequences if it chooses to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Fox News reported.
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US: China Faces Consequences if It Helps Russia
The US says China will face harsh “consequences” if it aids Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, according to US media reports.
Unnamed officials reportedly told multiple US news outlets that Russia asked China to provide military assistance after it began the invasion.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not aware of this request.
The warning comes ahead of a meeting in Rome on Monday between top US and China officials.
Since the start of the crisis Beijing has expressed strong rhetorical support for long-time ally Moscow, but is not publicly known to have provided any military or economic support.
via joemiller
