Russia seeks military equipment from China after Ukraine invasion, say reports

Washington, March 14

A US official said Russia asked China for military equipment to use in its invasion of Ukraine, a request that heightened tensions about the ongoing war ahead of a Monday meeting in Rome between top aides for the US and Chinese governments.

In advance of the talks, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy. “We will not allow that to go forward,” he said. China in turn accused on Monday the US of spreading “disinformation.”                

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said that in recent days, Russia had requested support from China, including military equipment, to press forward in its ongoing war with Ukraine. The official did not provide details on the scope of the request. The request was first reported by the Financial Times and The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia has not asked China for military assistance and has sufficient military clout to fulfil all of its aims in Ukraine in time and in full. Agencies