China may have talked Russian President Vladimir Putin out of deploying nuclear weapons amid Russia's war against Ukraine, outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with the Financial Times (FT) on Jan. 3.
Beijing has emerged as Moscow's leading ally and financial backer since the full-scale invasion of February 2022, though China has denied accusations of supporting Russia's military efforts.
China may have exerted its influence over Russia to intervene when Putin was considering nuclear escalation, Blinken told the FT.
"We have reason to believe that China engaged Russia and said: 'Don't go there,'" he said.
Blinken said the U.S. had been "very concerned" because Putin appeared to be considering nuclear weapons.
"Even if the probability went from 5 to 15%, when it comes to nuclear weapons, nothing is more serious," he said.
Blinken also claimed that China may have intervened in a similar manner after the U.S. warned Beijing that Putin was planning to launch a nuclear weapon into space.
Fear of escalating hostilities with nuclear-armed Russia has been a driving factor behind the current U.S. administration's policy toward Ukraine. Under President Joe Biden, the White House delayed deliveries of certain weapons and withheld permission for Kyiv to launch deep strikes within Russian territory, citing Putin's "red lines."
Putin began a new round of nuclear saber-rattling in late November after Biden allowed Ukraine to attack some Russian targets with U.S.-made long-range weapons. Putin revised Russia's nuclear doctrine, expanding the criteria under which the country can launch a nuclear strike.
Despite these steps, U.S. intelligence sources have said that the risk of a Russian nuclear strike has not increased and remains unlikely.
Blinken defended Biden's record on Russia and Ukraine, saying that Putin suffered a "strategic defeat" and that NATO has grown stronger.
Biden's term ends later this month when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Republican Senator Marco Rubio will replace Blinken as secretary of state.
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