Blinken pointed to US concern over possible plans by China to supply Russia with weapons

The United States is concerned about possible Chinese plans to support Russia with the supply of lethal weapons for use in Ukraine, such assistance will have consequences for relations between Beijing and Washington, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement. interview NBC on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“We are very concerned that China is considering providing lethal support to Russia in its aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken said, “and I have made it clear that this will have serious consequences in our relations,” Blinken said.

The Secretary of State also said that the United States has evidence that Chinese companies are providing non-lethal support to the Russian army. “The concern we have now is based on the information we have that they are considering providing lethal support,” said Blinken (Bloomberg quote). He added that such supplies could be “a whole range of things, from ammunition to weapons themselves.”

Previously NBC citing US officials informedthat the US already has information about Chinese shipments. That aid, the sources said, may have included “spring offensive equipment such as uniforms or even body armor.”

The Chinese authorities intend to state their position on a political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine, Reuters wrote referring to the statement of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, head of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Wang Yi. As Wang Yi said at the Munich Security Conference, Beijing believes that that “certain forces” do not want peace talks between Ukraine and Russia to succeed.

At the end of January, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on the US to stop sending military equipment to Ukraine, as this only prolongs the conflict, making it more intense. Earlier, the Chinese authorities have repeatedly stated that they will not impose sanctions against Russia and contribute to the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, Beijing called on the parties to peace and hinted at US responsibility for the situation in Ukraine.

This week, China’s permanent representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, said China was calling on the Russian and Ukrainian authorities to stop hostilities and start negotiations as soon as possible.