Beijing has pushed back on reports that Russia had asked China for military equipment and other support following the start of its invasion of Ukraine, saying on Monday that “the U.S. has been spreading disinformation and this is very dangerous.”
“We need to advance a diplomatic solution of the situation instead of further escalating the situation,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing.
Three American officials said on Sunday that the U.S. government had reason to believe that Russia had asked China for the help.
News of the requests came amid intensifying Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities and residential areas, and was expected to be a key topic of discussion between President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan and China’s senior diplomat, Yang Jiechi, during a meeting scheduled for later on Monday in Rome.
On Sunday, a particularly deadly Russian airstrike at a military base in western Ukraine killed at least 35 people.
Latest developments on Ukraine:
- Russia asked China for military equipment and other support following the start of its war in Ukraine, U.S. officials said.
- Russian and Ukrainian negotiators hold video conference Monday morning.
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan to meet with China’s senior diplomat in Rome.
- Russian airstrike on military base in western Ukraine kills 35 and injures 134 people on Sunday.
- More than 2,500 residents of besieged Mariupol have been killed since the start of the invasion, according to a presidential adviser.
The officials with knowledge of Russia’s request to China declined to elaborate on whether Beijing agreed to supply military aid, or whether the U.S. even knows the answer to that question. They declined say what kind of equipment was requested, and whether it was lethal.
The evolving stance taken by Beijing, which has growing ties with Russia and has refrained from condemning its actions in Ukraine, has been the subject of intense speculation and concern in Western capitals.
Ahead of the meeting with China’s senior diplomat, Sullivan warned that other countries shouldn’t consider coming to Russia’s aid and singled out China.
“We have made it clear to not just Beijing, but every country in the world, that if they think that they can basically bail Russia out, they can give Russia a workaround to the sanctions that we’ve imposed, they should have another thing coming,” he said.
“We will ensure that neither China, nor anyone else, can compensate Russia for these losses,” he added.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
