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France says China is supplying Russia with non-lethal military aid

by Martin Fornusek and The Kyiv Independent news desk July 21, 2023 8:41 AM 2 min read
Russian helmets seen at the entrance to Kherson International Airport. Though the Ukraine Armed Forces pushed Russian troops out of the city, prompting scenes of jubilation during the liberation in mid-November, Russian forces retreated only across the Dnipro River and continue to shell and rocket Kherson daily. (Photo by Aziz Karimov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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China is supplying Russia with non-lethal military aid like helmets, armor, and dual-use technologies, CNN reported on July 21, citing French officials.

Emmanuel Bonne, an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, told CNN that Beijing is "delivering massively military capacities to Russia."

When asked whether there is evidence of China supplying Moscow militarily, Bonne said that "there are indications that they are doing things we would prefer them not to do."

The official stressed that the West wants China to abstain from involving itself in the war and to avoid delivering weapons or supporting Russia economically.

"We need them to understand that Ukraine is a conflict of global magnitude and that we cannot offer Ukraine to lose for reasons of principle, but also for reasons which are very operational," Bonne told CNN.

"And what is at stake for us in Ukraine is much more than, you know, Ukraine sovereignty. It's very much about the stability of the world."

In February, Antony Blinken said Washington has concerns that Beijing is considering supplying Moscow with weapons.

On Feb. 4, the Wall Street Journal reported that China had provided Russia's army with military equipment despite the existing sanctions regime. Chinese state-owned companies provided Moscow with navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter-jet parts, customs records show.

CIA Director Bill Burns also stated China is considering supplying Russia with arms, including lethal ones.

In April, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang denied his country selling weaponry to either side of the Russia-Ukraine war.

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