Russia has asked China for military assistance for its war in Ukraine, U.S officials reported.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss delicate matters, did not specify what kind of equipment Moscow had requested from its most powerful diplomatic partner. The official declined to say how the administration knows these details.
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Another U.S. official said the request is not new, and was made just after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. White House spokespeople declined to comment.
This latest twist comes as the U.S. and China plan to hold their first high-level, in-person talks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The White House said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will meet in Rome on Monday with China’s top diplomat, Communist Party Politburo member Yang Jiechi.
As the conflict extends into its third week, Putin’s campaign has run into difficulties. The question is whether it’s in President Xi Jinping’s interest to engage with any Russian weapons request and set off China’s biggest foreign policy shift since Richard Nixon’s visit in 1972.
Xi has tried to thread a needle in neither condemning nor supporting Putin’s actions. But while Russia sells far more arms to China than it buys, Beijing’s rapid military modernization has seen it produce more advanced weapons in recent years.
Sending weapons would risk severe economic penalties on Chinese companies and a big escalation in trade tensions with the U.S. at an extremely delicate time.
As the most powerful Chinese leader in decades, Xi is consolidating power and has made stability a priority ahead of a once-in-five-year party congress later this year at which he’s expected to secure a third term in office.
China’s Response.
Liu Pengyu, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, said he was unaware of any suggestions that China might be willing to help Russia: “China is deeply concerned and grieved on the Ukraine situation. We sincerely hope that the situation will ease and peace will return at an early date.”
The Biden administration believes China was aware before the invasion that Putin was planning something, Sullivan told CNN on Sunday, a claim Beijing has denied.
The U.S. is now watching whether China provides material support or economic support to Russia. “It is a concern of ours,” Sullivan said. “I’m not going to sit here publicly and brandish threats, but what I will tell you is that we are communicating directly, privately to Beijing.”
Beijing stopped short of condemning Russia for its actions in Ukraine but also called repeatedly for negotiations toward a cease-fire and a resolution of the conflict. When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, China officially stayed neutral.
While China has continued to provide diplomatic support to Russia after the invasion, including amplifying a conspiracy theory about U.S.-operated biolabs in Ukraine, Beijing officials have also expressed concern about civilian casualties and vouched for Ukraine’s sovereignty