Mar 19,2022: U S President Biden warned China’s leader, Xi Jinping, that there would be “implications and consequences” for providing direct military aid to Russia amid a grinding assault in Ukraine that is increasingly aimed at civilian targets.
The leaders’ nearly two-hour video call came amid intermittent peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and was the latest example of the international pressure bearing down on Russia’s diminishing circle of allies.
Biden’s goal was to clarify the “implications and consequences” of China’s decision to support Russia, as its military “conducts brutal attacks” against Ukrainians, according to the White House.
NATO wants Chinese banks to avoid helping Russia evade the consequences of the financial sanctions. Despite the warning, China’s public stance did not appear to change.
Biden’s counterpart stated the Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, was “not in anyone’s interest,” according to China’s Foreign Ministry.
Meanwhile, Chinese media portrayed China-U.S. relations as facing a “dilemma created by” former President Donald Trump, amid “more and more challenges,” The Associated Press reported.
Xi and Putin met in early February to declare a “friendship” between the two countries.
