Joe Biden said Friday from Ottawa that China “has not delivered” weapons to Russia at this time, despite fears expressed by Westerners.
“I’ve been hearing for three months that China is going to supply Russia with major weapons… That doesn’t mean they won’t, but they haven’t yet,” the US president said during a trip to his Canadian neighbor.
“I don’t take China lightly. I don’t take Russia lightly,” he added, adding that reports of his outreach had likely been “exaggerated.”
A “special relationship”
By contrast, Joe Biden insisted on strengthening ties among Westerners. “If anything has happened, it’s that the West has hardened considerably,” he said, speaking of a “united” coalition.
During a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow this week, the Russians and Chinese, for their part, welcomed the entry into a “new era” of their “special relationship.”
But while the Chinese leader promised moral support and a trade lifeline, he refrained from supplying Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine with weapons, which could have led to Western sanctions against his country.
Nor has there been a long-term commitment to buy large quantities of Russian gas, exports of which to Europe have collapsed, leaving a gaping hole in Russia’s finances.
Source: BFM TV
