Ukraine war: Biden will tell Xi any support of Russia comes with ‘costs’, top US diplomat says
- ‘We’re concerned that they’re considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment,’ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says
- The two leaders will speak on Friday for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine
US President Joe Biden plans to tell his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that he will “impose costs” for any support Beijing provides to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Washington’s top diplomat said on Thursday, as the administration made its clearest comments to date that it is concerned about such assistance.
“We believe China in particular has a responsibility to use its influence and defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“Instead, it appears that China is moving in the opposite direction by refusing to condemn [Russia’s war against Ukraine], while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter.
“We’re concerned that they’re considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment to use in Ukraine,” Blinken said.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said minutes later, in a separate briefing, that the concern was “significant”.
The US president, Blinken added, “will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs”.