US points out Russia asked for Chinese military aid, newspapers say

Information released this Sunday (13) by the newspapers Financial Times and The New York Times claim that the Russian government turned to China in search of military support for the country’s invasion of Ukraine. US officials reportedly said the Kremlin had been requesting military aid as well as financial assistance since the start of the Russian offensive on February 24. There would be concern on the part of the White House about risks that Chinese aid could counteract efforts that seek to support Ukraine in its defense.

To the Financial Times, the Chinese embassy in Washington denied being aware of any willingness by the country to help Russia.

This Monday (13) US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is due to meet in Rome with diplomat Yang Jiechi, China’s top foreign policy official to discuss the conflict in Eastern Europe. Before leaving the US for Europe, Sullivan warned China not to try to help Moscow circumvent Western sanctions. He told NBC TV that he “will make sure that neither China nor anyone else can compensate Russia for these losses.”