Ukraine crisis: The US warns China not to assist Russia

“We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world,” he said.

He added that while the US believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “planning something” before the invasion happened, Beijing “may not have understood the full extent of it”.

“Because it’s very possible that [Mr] Putin lied to them in the same way he lied to Europeans and others,” Sullivan explained.

In response, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the US had “been spreading disinformation targeting China on the Ukraine issue with malicious intentions.”

When asked if China had received a request for military assistance from Russia, Mr Zhao dismissed the claim as “fake news,” but did not explicitly deny it. He went on to say that China’s stance had always been consistent, and that China was actively promoting talks.

Dmitry Peskov, President Putin’s spokesman, said reports that Russia had asked China for military assistance were false.

“Russia has the capability to continue the operation on its own. As previously stated, it is proceeding as planned and will be completed on time and in full “He stated.

On Monday in Rome, Mr Sullivan met Yang Jiechi, a member of China’s top decision-making body, the Politburo, and the head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission. There was no immediate word on the nature of their conversations.

Before the meeting began, a US official told Reuters that Mr Sullivan would lay out the consequences and isolation China would face if it increased its support for Russia.

So far, China has refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion, instead stating that Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns” should be taken seriously.

China was one of 35 countries that abstained when the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russia’s invasion earlier this month.

At the same time, Beijing has stated its “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty. It has also called for peace and stated that it is willing to assist in ending the war through diplomacy. Several nations have urged China to do more to prevent Russia’s invasion.

If the EU and the US help Ukraine while China helps Russia, the war in Ukraine will become even more consequential.

The White House has decided to make its claim public just as President Biden’s top security adviser is scheduled to meet with China’s top diplomat. It appears to be a ploy to put pressure on China, presumably to confirm or deny the report.

The larger goal may be to force Xi Jinping to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of his current position of what was described as a “rock solid” relationship with Moscow last week.

Remember that just a few weeks ago, as the Winter Olympics began in Beijing, Presidents Xi and Putin declared a new “no-limit” alliance. Military assistance could undoubtedly be part of that.

However, in the days following Russia’s invasion, China condemned the United Kingdom, the United States, and others for providing weapons to Ukraine’s military, claiming that they were adding “fuel to the fire.”

If the US intelligence assessment is correct and Beijing follows through on the request, they will be “adding fuel” as well.