US officials urged China to help avert war in Ukraine

U.S. officials reportedly urged top Chinese officials in meetings more than three months to press Russia not to invade Ukraine. With Russian military equipment now rolling into Ukrainian territory, the U.S. officials said that their Chinese counterparts sought to minimize the prospect of invasion and accused the U.S. of attempting to create conflict.

The Chinese officials also reportedly said they would not interfere with Russia’s operations. The meetings show how the Biden administration sought to engage diplomatically with China, despite the two nation’s growing competition. It also shows how China’s government, with strong trade ties to Russia, refused to engage with Putin about the troop buildup on the Ukrainian border — what now appears to have been a clear precursor for invasion.

RFA