China doesn't provide weapons to Russia, but helps Moscow cope with sanctions pressure - Blinken

This was reported by The Guardian

Blinken made these remarks at the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia. He stated that since the onset of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the United States has been urging China not to supply weapons to Russia.

"I think it’s fair to say that China has not directly supplied Russia with weapons, with missiles, with munitions. Iran is doing it. North Korea is doing it. However, what China is doing, is providing invaluable support to Russia’s defense industrial base that’s helping Russia deal with the massive pressure that’s been exerted through sanctions, through export controls and other measures," Blinken emphasized.

He pointed out that in the past year, Russia has ramped up its production of ammunition, missiles, tanks, and armored vehicles at an unprecedented rate. "Russia has produced them at a faster pace than at any time in its modern history, including during the Cold War as the Soviet Union."

"How has it been able to do that? Because it is getting massive inputs of machine tools, microelectronics, optics, mostly coming from China. Now these are dual-use items, but we know very clearly where so many of them are going. And this poses two problems. It is enabling Russia to continue the aggression against Ukraine. So it’s perpetuating a war that China says it would like to see come to an end. As all of us would," he said.

Blinken stressed that this support also enables Russia to bolster its defense and industrial capabilities, raising concerns among European nations that these capabilities could be directed against them if Ukraine falls.

According to Blinken, as China seeks to enhance its relations with European countries, it simultaneously poses the greatest challenge to European security since the Cold War's conclusion.

• There are reports that China is providing docking facilities for a Russian cargo ship under US sanctions, which is allegedly involved in transporting weapons from North Korea to Russia.
• Additionally, recent information indicates that China continues to facilitate Russia's military objectives in Ukraine by supplying goods such as UAV technology and gunpowder ingredients.