US says Russia and China have made a defense deal

ROME — Installation couldn’t be friendlier. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi met Monday at the posh Waldorf Astoria Rome Cavalieri, home to a Michelin-starred restaurant and some of the best views overlooking the United States. Magnificent view of Rome. But both diplomats didn’t seem to like the scene, or the meeting, that had come following US announcement that they are “deeply concerned” that China will soon help Russia in it Invasion of Ukraine, potentially prolonging misery for all involved. The US added that China would probably refuse any assistance. For its part, China has called the US announcement “disinformation”.

The details of the Chinese and American secret services intrigued journalists, allowing only two photographers – one Chinese and one American – to enter the sterile conference room, where the two men sat next to the photographers. assistants on the long table opposite each other during what Sullivan called the “intense” seven o’clock. According to a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry after the meeting, the negotiations were not negotiations but took place with different views on what is happening in Ukraine.

The heavily guarded meeting was planned long before Russia invaded Ukraine. And the White House read aloud gave nothing away, only confirming that Sullivan “met today with Politburo member of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi in Rome, Italy.” The article said the meeting “takes place after the November 15, 2021 virtual meeting between President Biden and President Xi”.

A high-ranking government achieved by Guardians after the meeting share little. “It was an intense seven-hour session, reflecting the importance of this moment, as well as our commitment to maintaining open lines of communication,” the official said. “This meeting is not about negotiating specific issues or outcomes, but about a direct, frank exchange of views.”

When asked if it was successful, the answer was even more ambiguous. “I suppose it depends on how you define success,” the official told Guardians. “But we believe it’s important to keep lines of communication open between the United States and China, especially on areas where we disagree.”

A little more has been revealed. “Mr. Sullivan raised a wide range of issues in US-China relations, with important discussion of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the article said. “They also emphasized the importance of maintaining maintain open lines of communication between the United States and China.”

But a telegram sent to allies in Europe and Asia hours after the meeting ended hinted at broader concerns attached to US intelligence reports that China could soon help Russia and then denied it. “It’s true, it’s the consequence, and it’s really alarming,” read the sensitive cable a US official read. told Reuters.

Another source familiar with classified cables told CNN that the cable did not specify whether China had provided assistance, only that Beijing had indicated its “willingness” to do so. The official also told CNN that China would certainly deny it could help Russia, just as it has so far denied that Putin’s attack was actually an “invasion.”

Over the weekend, the Biden administration cited intelligence sources as saying that Russia had asked China for economic and military aid, as well as rations of prepackaged non-perishable military food, a clear sign. shows the logistical problems facing the Russian military in Ukraine. The CNN report also points to the fact that the Russian military continues to ravage grocery stores for food, underscoring the basic unpreparedness of the military.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, China has continued to do business with Russia, certainly content to fill the vacuum that global sanctions have created. The two nations are so close together that Russian President Vladimir Putin even halted military strikes on Ukraine until the Olympics in Beijing ended. But several diplomats familiar with the talks in Rome on Monday said that China was somewhat deterred by the threat of sanctions. “Some people are really concerned that their involvement could hurt economic ties with the West, on which China relies,” an official told CNN on Tuesday. The same official said they were also monitoring to see if China was helping Russia in other ways, including by abstaining at the United Nations.

“We have made it very clear to Beijing that we will not refuse,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said after the meeting. “We will not allow any country to compensate Russia for damages.”

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Spanish counterpart on Tuesday that China was not willing to sacrifice ties in Europe for Russia. “China is not a party to the crisis, still less willing to be affected by sanctions,” Wang said, according to a transcript of a conversation with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, adding. that Russia’s actions in Ukraine are the “product” of the accumulation and proliferation of European security conflicts over the years. ”