The remarks, made by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and CIA Director William J. Burns, came during separate appearances on Sunday morning news programs.
Sullivan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program that Washington will continue to send a “strong message” to Beijing against providing military aid to Moscow “when they use their weapons to bomb cities, kill civilians, and commit atrocities.”
Such a move, Sullivan said, “would be a bad mistake, and China should want no part of it.” But, he added, “Right now, China has not moved forward, as far as we can discern. We haven’t seen them do that.”
Burns said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that there is US intelligence “indicating” that China is “considering” giving Russia lethal military equipment, confirming previous news reports, including The Washington Post. But he added, “We also don’t see a final decision made yet, nor do we see evidence of actual shipments of lethal equipment.”
Burns added that it appears to be Chinese President Xi Jinping I was surprised by the weakness of the Russian army, which was expected to invade the Ukrainian capital within days after last year’s invasion, as well as by the strong support shown by Western countries.
Burns said the solidarity was demonstrated in the desire of the United States and European allies “to absorb a certain amount of the economic cost in order to inflict greater economic damage on Russia over time.” He imposed a coalition of countries Economic sanctions Against Russian companies, Russian oligarchs and comp Doing business within Russia.
“I think all of that has awakened Xi Jinping to a certain extent,” Burns said.
Burns also said that Russia is not “serious” about engaging in diplomatic negotiations. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes Americans suffer from “attention deficit disorder” and will eventually stop caring about Ukraine, Burns said, which helps fuel his conviction that he can wait out the Western alliance’s end.
Said the director of the CIA The situation came about in his meeting three months ago with KGB chief Sergei Naryshkin, who conveyed an “extremely defiant stance” and “a sense of arrogance”.
This reflects “Putin’s own view, his own belief today, that he can buy him time, that he believes he can crush the Ukrainians, that he can tire out our European allies, and that political fatigue will eventually happen.”
However, Putin’s defiance and his military’s struggles focus on the alliances he might form with strategic partners, worrying many members of Congress.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Sunday during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week” that intelligence reports indicate that China may be considering sending 100 drones to Russia.
McCall said such discussions are “extremely troublesome” because “while it may be Ukraine today, it will be Taiwan tomorrow,” referring to the island, whose sovereignty is not recognized by China and which is also a major manufacturer of semiconductors that are vital to the island. world economy.
Concerns about China’s hardening stance also grew after US officials shot down a Chinese spy balloon this month after it passed over the continental United States; US officials said the airship was part of China’s vast international surveillance programme.
McCall continued, “We haven’t seen anything like this since my dad’s generation, World War II.”
“We can’t throw our heads in the sand and just ignore it,” McCall added. Otherwise, the Russians will be on the Polish border, and President Xi will invade Taiwan. “
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