Ukraine crisis: the US warns China against helping Russia

Media outlets, citing Washington officials, say that Russia has in recent days asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones. The report came as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, for talks in Rome and has cautioned Beijing.

New Delhi: China will face 'consequences' if it helps Russia in its intense military conflict with Ukraine and evades sanctions, the United States has said.

"We are watching very closely the extent to which China or any other country provides any form of support, whether that's material, economic or financial support to Russia, any such support from anywhere in the world would be of great concern to us," said Ned Price, US Dept of State Spokesman. 

Meanwhile, "unnamed US officials told multiple news outlets that China had signalled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia," says a BBC report.

The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of spreading disinformation. Russia has denied asking Beijing for military help.

Media outlets, citing Washington officials, say that Russia has in recent days asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones.

The report came as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, for talks in Rome and has cautioned Beijing.

"The national security adviser and our delegation raised directly and very clearly our concerns about the PRC's (China's) support to Russia in the wake of the invasion, and the implications that any such support would have for the PRC's relationship not only with us, but for its relationships around the world," said State Department spokesman Ned Price. 

"Mr Sullivan raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine," a readout of the meeting said. "They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China."

In an earlier CNN interview, Mr Sullivan said the US was "communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them."

"We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world," he said.

He added that while the US believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was "planning something" before the invasion happened, Beijing "may not have understood the full extent of it".

Meanwhile, White House officials are discussing the possibility of Biden travelling to Europe to meet with allies for in-person talks about the crisis in Ukraine. 

The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly and speak on the condition of anonymity, said the trip hadn't been finalised.

One possibility is a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 24 with other potential stops in Europe.