Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States believes China is considering providing weapons and other lethal aid to Russia during the war in Ukraine, and he has warned Beijing that doing so “would cause problems” serious problem” for an already strained relationship with Washington.
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned Russia’s allies not to provide military support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. While the United States has so far only seen Beijing provide non-military aid to Russia, “the concern we currently have is, based on the information we have, that it is considering providing assistance.” damage,” Blinken told CBS News. the Nation” in an interview that aired on Sunday.
Blinken did not elaborate on what the United States believes China could offer, but said it could include weapons and ammunition. The comments underscore concern within the Biden administration that Moscow, heavily isolated by Western sanctions because of its invasion, is increasingly turning to allies, including China, Iran and North Korea, for military supplies as their war approaches the one-year mark.
On Saturday, Mr. Blinken met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at an annual security conference in Munich, First high-level diplomatic exchange between the two sides since Chinese spy hot air balloon was found flying over the United States, causing a crisis in bilateral relations. Details of the meeting released by China’s state news agency Xinhua did not mention Russia or Ukraine.
But what U.S. officials describe as a challenging meeting between the two diplomats underscored how the war in Ukraine has become the latest point of friction between the United States and China. And it came at a conference in Munich, which has been dominated by war, with Western officials doubling down on their resolve to support Kiev as Russia tries to step up a new offensive in eastern Ukraine. .
The European Union’s top diplomat said on Sunday that Western nations must quickly ramp up military support to Ukraine, criticizing the delay in supplying weapons as the war enters a new phase. what he called a “critical moment”.
Diplomat Josep Borrell Fontelles, the EU’s head of foreign policy, told the Munich meeting that praise and promises made to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine were not enough. “There needs to be less clapping and better weapons delivery,” said Mr Borrell, adding that “there’s a lot more work to be done and much faster.”
Amid concerns about whether Western unity could last as the war dragged on, the United States and its European partners at the meeting sought to find a solution, largely repeating commitments to support Ukraine for as long as possible. Mr. Blinken said he was “driven by the achievements” the allies have made in supporting Ukraine, wrote on Twitter on Sunday: “We will maintain unity and see victory for Ukrainians fighting for the fate of their country.”
President Biden is scheduled to travel to Ukraine’s neighbor, Poland, for a speech on Tuesday on the anniversary of the Russian invasion. Russian President Vladimir V. Putin is expected to deliver a speech on the same day.
With Russia attempting to escalate an offensive in eastern Ukraine, Kiev’s allies have work to come up with ways to provide additional military support. After lengthy discussions, the allies recently pledged to begin sending battle tanks to Ukraine, a decision that Borrell said took too long.
“Everybody knows that to win a war,” he told the conference, you need tanks.
Mr Zelensky, in his opening remarks to the conference on Friday, warned his allies against “fatigue” and stressed That speed is very important if his country thwarts a new Russian attack. In a speech late Saturday, Mr Zelensky said he was “grateful” for the “important statements” of support from Western officials in Munich.
“We have received strong signals from our partners and specific agreements regarding the inevitability of holding Russia accountable for aggression and terrorism against Ukraine and its people. their people,” he say.
Russia reacted sharply to Vice President Kamala Harris, who told the conference Saturday that the United States had determined that Moscow had committed “crimes against humanity” in Ukraine and commit must be held accountable to “all those who perpetrated these crimes,” as well as their superiors.
IN statement The following Saturday, Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, dismissed the comments “as an attempt, unprecedentedly skeptical, to smear Russia.”
Experts warn that any legal process to investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity would be lengthy and tedious, with arrest or conviction far from guaranteed. And while Zelensky’s allies have provided Ukraine with ever more powerful weapons, it’s unclear whether his latest pleas – including fighter jets and long-range missiles – will be met. met by Western leaders wary of provoking Russia for further aggression.
China, Russia’s most influential partner, delivered an often tuned message at the conference. Wang, China’s top diplomat, told the meeting that “nuclear war should not be waged,” a potential signal to Moscow that China would not tolerate the use of weapons. nuclear in Ukraine, like Russian officials have at times threatened.
At the same time, Wang sought to blame Russia for the war, arguing that “some forces may not want to see peace talks” and “may have larger strategic goals than Ukraine itself.” . That language echoes claims by the Kremlin, rejected by the West, that Moscow is ready to engage in good-faith peace talks and that NATO aims to subjugate Russia.
Ukrainian officials have warned of possible Russian escalation on the one-year anniversary of the invasion, and heavy fighting was reported on Sunday around the city of Kreminna, a small but important enclave in the region. Donbas.
Serhiy Haidai, head of the regional military administration, called the situation around Kreminna “difficult” and said shelling was ongoing. “The Russians are trying to find a position to penetrate our defenses,” he said. told Ukrainian TV station.
In a separate development, Russian shelling killed a family of three and wounded at least four others in the southern Kherson area. local official said.
Edward King contribution report.
