US Assesses China Has Not Yet Decided to Provide Lethal Aid to Russia - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2023) The United States assesses that China has not yet made a decision to provide lethal aid to Russia for use in Ukraine, US State Department counsel Derrek Chollet said in an interview that aired on Wednesday.

"Our assessment is they have not yet made that decision up to this point," Chollet told CBS news. "But there are just increasing indications that this is something on their minds."

Chollet warned that such a decision by Beijing to help Russia in Ukraine would make life more difficult for China as well.

Despite several sensitive issues between the United States and China, such as the Chinese surveillance balloon that flew over the US mainland, Washington still believes both countries must address matters important to the bilateral relationship and global security, Chollet said.

On Sunday, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said that China has mulled the possibility of providing "lethal" military assistance to Russia, including either weapons or ammunition. Until now, he said, private Chinese companies have provided Russia with only "non-lethal" support.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that it is the United States, not China, who is pumping the Ukraine conflict with arms.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Beijing has resolutely denied allegations about China's plans to help Russia with the supply of weapons and there is nothing to add to the matter.