DoD to Al Mayadeen: Won't go into nature of consequences with Beijing
The US Department of Defense has refused to respond to Al Mayadeen's question about the "serious consequences" Washington has promised Beijing if it provides weapons to Russia.
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Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh speaks at a news conference at the Pentagon, Virginia, on November 4, 2022. (AP)
US Department of Defense spokesperson Sabrina Singh refused to go into details about the nature of "consequences" that US President Joe Biden's administration threatened China with if it provided Russia with "lethal weapons."
In response to Al Mayadeen's question, Singh confirmed that during talks with their counterparts in China, US officials expressed their rejection of any "lethal" military aid provided to Russia while the war in Ukraine is still ongoing.
This comes just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Sunday that China was considering the provision of arms to Russia in the midst of the war in Ukraine, warning that arms supplies from Beijing to Washington would "cause a serious problem."
"The concern we have now is based on information we have that they're considering providing lethal support," Blinken told CBS's Face The Nation.
Asked about what the arms supplies from China would include, Blinken claimed that it would include "everything from ammunition to the weapons themselves."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin blamed the US for fueling escalations in the conflict by providing Kiev with arms and weapons.
Read next: China to never accept US pressure on ties with Russia: Beijing
US State Department counsel Derek Chollet said in an interview with CBS News on Wednesday that China still has not made a decision to provide Russia with military assistance to be used against Kiev's forces.
"Our assessment is they have not yet made that decision up to this point," Chollet said. "But there are just increasing indications that this is something on their minds."
Chollet added that in the event China decides to assist Russia in the war in Ukraine, life would be more difficult for China as well.
Read next: China, Russia to move firmly, confidently toward multipolar world: FM
