National Security Adviser: ‘We Will Watch Carefully’ If China Decides to Provide Russia with Lethal Assistance
Sullivan prefers to keep consequences for crossing red line “behind closed doors.”
The Biden administration “will watch carefully” to see if China were to decide to start providing Russia lethal assistance in that country's invasion of Ukraine, according to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
China has been allied with Russia, and reportedly has been providing Russian leader Vladimir Putin's lawless incursion with non-lethal assistance.
Russia's brutal and barbaric invasion of its democratic neighbor recently entered its second year as President Biden last week made a stunning surprise visit to Kyiv.
Were the Chinese government to change their stance and begin providing the invasion of Ukraine with lethal assistance that would be crossing a red line in the eyes of the US government.
Sullivan was a guest for an on-camera appearance Sunday on CNN with host Dana Bash.
“If China does go ahead and give the lethal support that your intelligence shows they're considering giving to Russia, can you please be specific about how the U.S. would respond?” Bash asked.
Sullivan replied, “Well, again, you're talking about a hypothetical situation because, at present, China has not moved forward, as far as we can discern. We have not seeing them do it. And I would prefer to keep our messages to China on this question, what the consequences would be, in the private high-level diplomatic channels that we have established to discuss these issues.
“Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken saw China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, just a few days ago in Munich. They had a detailed conversation the subject,” Sullivan added. “Secretary Blinken laid out the U.S. position in perspective And I'm going to leave that important and grave set of conversations around the stakes of China coming in behind Russia in their war in Ukraine for behind closed doors.”
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