UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has accused China of providing or preparing to provide Russia with “lethal aid” for its war against Ukraine. Speaking at a defense conference in London on 22 May, Shapps stated that there is evidence of Russia and China collaborating on combat equipment for use in Ukraine, according to the Financial Times.
China’s supplies of non-lethal materials to Russia have been widely known. The Defense Secretary’s comments suggested that China might have shifted to directly supporting Russia’s military in Ukraine, though he provided no specific details or evidence.
Grant Shapps said that in a “a significant development,” new US and British intelligence showed “lethal aid is now or will be flowing from China to Russia and into Ukraine.”
In April, the US reportedly warned its European allies that China has escalated its support for Russia in the ongoing Ukraine war, providing geospatial intelligence, microelectronics, and other key military components to aid Moscow’s war efforts, further straining relations between Washington and Beijing.
While China has not backed the invasion, it has provided Russia with an economic lifeline after Western sanctions. Shapps noted that increased trade between China and Russia indicates a “deeper relationship” since the invasion began.
Last month, the Chinese embassy in the US stated that it had not provided weaponry and was “not a producer of or party involved in the Ukraine crisis.”
Blinken to personally warn China of potential sanctions over military aid to Russia
During a visit to China in late April, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that there were no signs of Beijing sending weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, but this month the US sanctioned Chinese companies, including two groups accused of supplying Russia with drones, weapons, ammunition, chips, sensors, and other military-related technology.
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