Blinken threatened Chinese companies with sanctions in case of providing military assistance to Russia

Washington will not hesitate to impose sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals if Beijing provides Moscow with lethal aid to fight the war, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.

During a meeting with leaders in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, Blinken said that it would be a serious problem for Beijing in relations with the countries of the world if it violates US sanctions against Russia because of the war in Ukraine. “So we’ve been following this very closely since day one, and the reason why I raised this issue not only with Wang Yi last week, but publicly, along with other colleagues in the administration, is because we’re concerned, based on information we have is that China is considering moving from non-lethal support provided by some of its companies to de facto lethal material support for Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine,” he said.

“And I can share with you that we have been very clear in warning China about the consequences of providing such support. We will not hesitate, for example, to target Chinese companies or individuals who violate our sanctions or are otherwise involved in supporting the Russian military effort,” – said the American diplomat. According to him, if China decides to help the Russian Federation with weapons, then Beijing’s relations with the United States and other countries around the world will face “serious problems.” “China cannot, on the one hand, offer peace proposals, and on the other hand, keep the flames of the fire that Russia lit. I hope China will take this seriously,” Blinken added.

On February 18, Blinken claimed that China was considering supplying weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine. In turn, the representative of the foreign policy service of the European Union, Nabila Masrali, pointed out that the community does not have evidence of Beijing providing military assistance to Moscow. Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder also said that the US military did not record the transfer of weapons from China to Russia, but his department believes that Beijing does not rule out such an option.

According to the US, it does not appear that Beijing has made a final decision at the moment, as negotiations between Russia and China on the price and volume of equipment are still ongoing.

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