As “Ukrinform” reports, such a statement was made by the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, during a hearing in the committee of the US House of Representatives.
“Xi’s visit to Putin and his many-day stay there, I think, sends a very worrying signal, a signal of support (to Russia – ed.),” Austin stressed.
According to him, although there is currently no evidence that China could provide lethal aid to Russia, Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow and his meeting with the Russian dictator Putin have essentially “become a show of support” for the Russian president, which in itself “is very worrying”.
Austin pointed out that if China provides material support to Russia, it will potentially have an impact on the continuation of Russia’s war against Ukraine and expand its influence not only in the region, but also around the world, writes UNIAN.
Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia
On March 20, 2023, Chinese leader Xi Jinping paid an official visit to Moscow. The next day, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the two discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Discussing Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Chinese leader stated that “conflicts are ultimately resolved through dialogue and negotiation.” He also reminded of the “peace plan” represented by China, where the war was called the “Ukraine crisis”.
Meanwhile, the US Institute of War Research emphasized that the Kremlin leader did not get the desired result in the talks with Xi Jinping. In particular, Putin has not agreed on a closer bilateral partnership with the Chinese authorities.
