On Wednesday, Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, stated that despite China’s increase in diplomatic support for Russia, there is no significant evidence of China providing substantial military aid to Russia.
US Secretary, Blinken has been warning publicly for several weeks that China is reviewing Russian requests for weapons to use in Ukraine, and while some reports indicate limited shipments from Chinese companies to Moscow, no clear evidence suggests China has crossed the line into providing lethal aid to Russia.
Blinken made these comments during a Senate committee hearing when asked if China was providing lethal aid to Russia, stating that there is no evidence of this as of today.
Recently, President Xi Jinping visited Moscow, where he pushed for a Chinese proposal for a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict.
The United States is skeptical of the proposal as it fears that Russia may use the pause to regroup and strengthen its forces on the ground.
Blinken believes that China’s diplomatic and political support for Russia goes against the US’s interest in bringing an end to the conflict. Additionally, Blinken stated that the US would encourage other countries to extradite Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visits their countries following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Blinken emphasized that any party to the court must fulfill their obligations.
