Pressure on China to distance itself from Russia over war in Ukraine

The United States is expected to put pressure on China today to distance itself from Russia over the war in Ukraine amid reports that Moscow asked Beijing to donate military equipment for its invasion.

Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, is due to meet Yang Jiechi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s politburo, in Rome.

US officials told the Financial Times that Russia contacted China at the beginning of its invasion last month. The US is preparing to warn allies that China may be about to help Russia, undermining the West’s response to the war.

The Chinese embassy in Washington played down the report but did not deny it. “The situation is disconcerting,” Liu Pengyu, a spokesman, said. “The priority is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control.”

Russian forces launched artillery strikes on suburbs northwest of Kyiv overnight and targeted points east of the capital, the head of the Kyiv region said today. Two people were reported killed and seven were injured in explosions at Antonov aircraft plant and a residential building in the capital.

US-led sanctions have sought to cripple the Russian economy in response to the invasion. The country is said to be running out of some kinds of weaponry in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance.

Sullivan is expected to warn China not to aid Putin’s war. “We are communicating directly to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them,” he told CNN yesterday.

Beijing has declined to condemn Moscow directly for launching its invasion, and has repeatedly blamed Nato’s “eastward expansion” for worsening tensions between Russia and Ukraine, echoing the Kremlin’s attempted justifications for the conflict.

The White House is attempting to persuade China to pressure Putin to end the war, although experts believe that this is unlikely. Last week the Beijing government offered support for Russia, praising their “iron-clad” relationship while condemning the West’s “naked double standards” on its claims towards Taiwan.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman of China’s foreign ministry, accused Washington of spreading false information.

“Recently the US side has repeatedly spread false information targeting China over the Ukraine issue,” Zhao said. “The intent is evil.”

He added: “China’s stance on Ukraine has been consistent and clear. We’ve been playing a constructive role in pushing for peace talks.

 “The most urgent task now is for all sides to keep restrained and cool the tense situation, instead of adding fuel to the fire. We should push for diplomatic solutions, rather than further escalating the situation.”

In Kyiv President Zelensky described yesterday as a “black day” after Russia shelled a military base in the western part of his country. In an address to Ukrainians last night he said that Russia had fired 30 rockets at the Yavoriv military base. He said that the attack had killed 35 people and injured 134.

Moscow’s army continues to besiege and bombard other key cities but further attempts to evacuate civilians via “humanitarian corridors” will be made today.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators hinted yesterday at progress in talks as intense fighting continued and aid workers warned of increasing peril for civilians. “Russia is beginning to talk constructively,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser, said in a video posted online. “I think that we will achieve some results literally in a matter of days.”

Leonid Slutsky, a delegate from the Russian side, was quoted as saying that “significant” progress had been made.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, said yesterday that talks were taking place and would continue today.

Putin said on Friday that there had been “positive shifts” in negotiations but three earlier rounds of talks held in Belarus ended with little outcome. It was not clear yesterday whether the movement was towards a ceasefire or a full cessation of hostilities.

Ukraine has said that it will not surrender and Russia insists that its concerns about Russian speakers in the eastern Donbas region and Nato enlargement must be addressed. Podolyak said that “dozens of proposals” were up for negotiation. “Our demands are the end of the war and the withdrawal of [Russian] troops.”

This morning Podolyak said that Ukraine would demand an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops during a fourth round of negotiations today. “Peace, an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russians troops — and only after this can we talk about regional relations and about political differences,” he said in a video statement posted to Twitter.

Wendy Sherman, the US deputy secretary of state, told Fox News that US pressure on Russia was having an impact, but added: “So far it appears Putin is intent on destroying Ukraine.”

During talks in the Turkish resort of Antalya on Thursday, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Dmytro Kuleba, his Ukrainian counterpart, discussed the possibility of a meeting between their presidents.

Zelensky hinted on Saturday that talks might take place in Israel.

Humanitarian groups urged the two sides to reach agreement. The UN said that at least 549 civilians had died and 2.7 million people had fled the country.

The popular photo-sharing app Instagram also appeared to have been taken offline today, refreshing without a VPN connection on Monday, AFP journalists said. The social network appeared on a list of online resources with “restricted access” published by Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor.