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Russia has been pleading for help from its "strategic partner" China since the start of the Ukraine war as international sanctions and large casualties cripple the nation, according to the United States.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has publicly warned China against siding with Vladimir Putin after alleging that he government had approached them for financial and military aid.
In an interview with CNN, he said he had told the Chinese "directly" and "privately" that there will "absolutely be consequences" for "large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them".
He also suggested Putin "lied" to China beforehand about its intentions to mount a full invasion in the same way they had misled European leaders in recent weeks, and said they may not have been aware of the "full extent" of his plans.
But on Monday morning a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson accused the United States of "spreading disinformation" in response to Sullivan's claims of possible tacit support of Russia's actions in Ukraine.
It comes as fears of the conflict escalating into a potential World War 3 continued grew over recent days, with China refusing to join with international sanctions against Russia.
The two countries signed an agreement pledging to begin a "new era" of partnership with "no limits" during the Winter Olympics last month, which came only two weeks before Putin began his bloody new war in Europe.
Just one day after his "special military operation" began China lifted all its restrictions on Russian wheat imports, providing a lifeline to the Russian economy after hard-hitting Western sanctions put it into meltdown.
And after US payments firms Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc said they were suspending operations in the country, Russian banks Sberbank and Tinkoff reportedly began a process of moving to China's UnionPay system to keep new customers connected to the rest of the world.
Criticism of Russia's actions is also banned on Chinese Twitter equivalent Weibo, while some Premier League matches have been banned from television because of pre-game displays of support for Ukraine.
But now the US and Western allies appear to be trying to persuade the Asian superpower to turn its back on Russia to avoid tarnishing its own reputation as the conflict grows more catastrophic, with the UN estimating that 1,500 civilians have now been killed amid heavy shelling of major cities.
The US and China will take part in a high-level diplomatic meeting in Rome today.
- Vladimir Putin
- China
- Russia
- Russia Ukraine war
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