US Officials say that Russia has requested military and economic assistance from China, however both the Chinese and Russian governments publicly denied that the request happened.
Assistance from the Chinese would be a significant development in Russia’s invasion. It could upend the hold Ukrainian forces still have in the country as well as provide a counterweight to the harsh sanctions imposed on Russia’s economy.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that China providing Russia with support is a “concern.”
“We also are watching closely to see the extent to which China actually does provide any form of support, material support or economic support, to Russia. It is a concern of ours. And we have communicated to Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses from the economic sanctions,” Sullivan said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the US denied the request saying that they had never heard of it. But US officials don’t seem to believe, partly because of their skepticism about the Chinese response to the Russian Invasion.
While Beijing has seemingly tried to strike a neutral tone on the international stage, Chinese domestic media coverage has promoted Russian disinformation campaigns and described the war as a “special military operation.”
