US warns China against providing lethal aid to Russia in Ukraine war

The US has cautioned China against providing lethal support to aid Russia in Ukraine.

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, issued the warning to China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, at a meeting during the Munich Security Conference.

The meeting also saw Blinken rebuking China over the use of an alleged spy balloon over US soil, and urging China to stop helping Russia evade the impact of sanctions.

The US believes that China may already be providing some surveillance information to the Wagner Group, the mercenary wing working alongside the Russian army.

Kamala Harris, US Vice President, warned China against providing lethal equipment to a country that the US had judged was committing crimes against humanity.

European diplomats briefed on China’s peace plan for Ukraine seemed sceptical about the value of a broad enunciation of vague principles.

The US has indicated that it believes the plan is likely to be a vague assertion of the value of peaceful dialogue, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian foreign minister expressed hope that China’s foreign policy principles would drive Beijing to accept the Ukrainian case.