Russia’s request for military equipment and other assistance from China was reported in mid-March by The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed US officials, without specifying what exactly Moscow wanted to receive. Two CNN interlocutors in Washington said that Russia had asked China for drones and economic support, and Beijing had already given a response, the content of which was not specified by the channel’s sources.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US government is closely monitoring the level of China’s support for Russia. “We are concerned about this. And we told Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for the losses from economic sanctions, ”Sullivan said.
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The Chinese Foreign Ministry called the published data “false information” that “is being spread by the American side.” A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington also assured that he had “never heard” of such a request from Russia.
The Kremlin, in turn, assured that Russia has its own potential for conducting a special operation in Ukraine and did not turn to other countries with requests for assistance.
Is it possible for Russia to purchase Chinese weapons for the operation in Ukraine
In mid-March, for the first time since November last year, a video call was held between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The White House clarified that the conversation took place to clarify China’s position on the situation in Ukraine and to inform about the likely consequences that would come if Russia supported it.
Biden and Xi talked for 1 hour and 50 minutes. According to the White House, the American president described “the consequences if China provides material support to Russia.” The head of China called on the American side to jointly bear the responsibility for maintaining “peace and tranquility” on the planet, China Central Television said.
The White House noted that they were concerned about the possible provision of material support by Beijing to Moscow, pointing out the existence of a number of “tools” the use of which could be considered. “And sanctions are one of the tools,” said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.