According to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, China is preparing to give Russia weapons, ammunition and additional ‘lethal assistance’ for the war in Ukraine. Blinken had met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, and said he warned Beijing against such a move.
“China is trying to have it both ways,” Blinken told NBC News in an interview set to air on Sunday. “Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine. But privately, as I said, we’ve seen already over these past months the provision of non-lethal assistance that does go directly to aiding and abetting Russia’s war effort.
He added that further information indicates that Beijing is considering providing “materiel support to Russia’s war effort that would have a lethal effect.”
Asked about how worried he was about China’s assistance, Blinken responded, “We’ve been concerned from day one about that possibility.” Later he detailed what type of “lethal assistance” he believed China is preparing to provide. “There’s a whole gamut of things that — that fit in that category, everything from ammunition to the weapons themselves,” said Blinken.
Mr. Blinken told CBS News that Chinese companies were already providing “non-lethal support” to Russia but direct military assistance would mean “serious consequences” for China.
China has denied reports that Moscow has requested military equipment.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and is yet to condemn Russia’s invasion – but he has sought to remain neutral in the conflict and has called for peace.
