Russia asked China for lethal weapons

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said there are signs that Russia has asked China for lethal assistance to wage a full-scale war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg's words were quoted by CNN during the presentation of NATO's annual report in Brussels on Tuesday.

"We have not seen any evidence that China is supplying lethal weapons to Russia, but we have seen some signs that there has been a request from Russia and that this issue is being considered by the Chinese authorities in Beijing," the NATO Secretary General said.

He warned China against providing lethal assistance to Russia, which, according to the Secretary-General, would mean "supporting an illegal war".

According to Stoltenberg, Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia and his meeting with Vladimir Putin demonstrates the rapprochement between Beijing and Moscow that has been taking place in recent years.

"We see how China and Russia are getting closer and closer in the military sphere - joint exercises, joint patrols at sea and in the air, in the economic sphere, as well as in the political and diplomatic sphere. So, the meeting in Moscow is part of this trend in which China and Russia are working closer and building a stronger and stronger partnership," he said.

Author - Olena Madiak, 22/03/2023