https://ift.tt/smt2FlC (AFP) — Russia has asked China for military and economic aid for its war in Ukraine, U.S. media reported Sunday, hours after the White House warned Beijing would face severe “consequences” if it helps Moscow evade sanctions.
U.S. officials told media that Russia had requested military equipment and support from its key ally.
Moscow also asked Beijing for economic assistance against the crippling sanctions imposed against it by most of the Western world, the New York Times said, again citing anonymous officials.
The officials declined to explain exactly what Russia had requested, or whether China had responded, according to the reports.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington told multiple outlets “I’ve never heard of that” when asked about the alleged requests.
The reports came just a few hours after the White House announced a high-level U.S. delegation would meet with a top Chinese official in Rome Monday.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party’s chief diplomat, “will discuss ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security,” National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said Sunday in a statement.
Beijing has declined to directly condemn Moscow for launching its invasion, and has repeatedly blamed NATO’s “eastward expansion” for worsening tensions between Russia and Ukraine, echoing the Kremlin’s prime security grievance.