John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, expressed his worries about Beijing’s deepening ties with Moscow and its involvement in the Russia–Ukraine conflict. He also doubted that the Chinese peace plan would be successful.
“We want them to make the right choice not to make it easier for Putin to kill Ukrainians,” Kirby said to The Epoch Times. “They’re going to have to make these choices. And we don’t think it’s in their interest to come in on the side of Russia wholeheartedly and inside this war.”
Kirby stated that it is hard to see how the Chinese peace plan could be a viable solution since there have been no conversations between China and Ukraine. Beijing released a paper on February 24th titled “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis” in an attempt to be seen as a mediator in the conflict. The document called for “respecting the sovereignty of all countries” and “the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld.”
When asked about the Chinese proposal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that territorial integrity, which was promoted in the paper, would require Russia to leave Ukraine. He also said he would like to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss the proposal.
The paper also encouraged “abandoning the Cold War mentality” and “stopping unilateral sanctions” against Russia.
In response to the one-year anniversary of the Russia invasion, U.S. President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv and held meetings in Poland. At the same time, Russia and China held high-level meetings in Moscow, where both sides agreed to strengthen ties. The White House mentioned that Beijing was considering sending lethal military aid to Russia.
Kirby stated at a press conference that the Chinese have not made a decision to proceed with this, but if they do, there will be consequences. CIA Director Bill Burns confirmed the possibility of China sending lethal assistance to Russia in a CBS News interview.
On February 24th, the Biden administration announced new sanctions against Russia and its allies, which include increased tariffs and export controls on key Russian sectors, as well as export controls against Chinese entities known to have supported Russia’s war machine.