(Washington) China has not yet “crossed the line” of delivering lethal weapons to Russia in the midst of the war in Ukraine, US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
“To date, we have not seen them cross that line,” the US Secretary of State said in response to a question during a Senate hearing in Washington.
For several weeks, American diplomacy has exerted intense diplomatic pressure on China to prevent it from delivering important military equipment to Moscow, mired in the conflict in Ukraine.
In mid-February, Washington announced that China was considering such an option, and there were reports of small shipments being sent by Chinese companies to Moscow.
And, during a two-day visit to Russia, President Xi Jinping reiterated his call for peace talks for the conflict in Ukraine, a solution that worries Washington, fearing it could militarily advantage Russia.
“I think the diplomatic, political, and to some extent material support (from China) for Russia is of course against our interest in seeing this war end,” Blinken told Congress.
The Secretary of State also encouraged any country that receives Vladimir Putin on its soil to take the opportunity to extradite him, following the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“I think those who are members of the Court and who have obligations must fulfill those obligations,” he said, answering the question of whether the United States would arrest Mr. Putin if he went to American soil. The United States is not a member of the ICC.
