The US is sinking tons of cash into the Ukraine/Russia conflict….and now there is a chance the China will join the fray…..

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US appears to be increasingly alarmed that China is about to start helping Vladimir Putin in a big way. If Beijing does so, it threatens not only to prolong the war but to turn the conflict into a showdown among superpowers. Coverage:

• Weapons: Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Face the Nation on CBS News over the weekend that China is considering giving Russia “lethal support”—as in, weapons and ammunition. “We’ve made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship.”
• Other help: The US believes China already is providing nonlethal support to Moscow, reports NBC News. That might include uniforms or even body armor ahead of an expected spring offensive. Blinken said Chinese companies were providing unspecified nonlethal support, per CBS, “and, of course, in China, there’s really no distinction between private companies and the state.”
• The implications: If China crosses the line from nonlethal to lethal aid, the consequences are significant, writes Edward Wong in a New York Times analysis. It “would transform the nature of the conflict, turning it into an epochal struggle involving all three of the world’s largest superpowers and their partners on opposing sides: Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea aligned against the United States, Ukraine, and their European and Asian allies and partners, including Japan and South Korea.”
• China responds: Blinken has been issuing warnings both publicly and privately over the last few days, and a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman says the US should butt out. “We will never accept the US pointing fingers at Sino-Russian relations or even coercing us,” said Wang Wenbin, per Reuters. What’s more, China’s top diplomat is about to visit Moscow and may visit Putin himself, the news agency reports. The diplomat, Wang Yi, previously accused the US of “hysterical” behavior over the shootdown of the infamous Chinese balloon.
• Biden trip: The potential meeting between Putin and China’s top diplomat comes as President Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine. Biden denounce the “brutal and unjust war” before departing after a five-hour visit, per the AP.

China even has a plan to put forth a peace initiative….

Beijing plans to roll out its framework for a treaty to end the war in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced at the Munich Security Conference. At the international summit, America’s top diplomat criticized the People’s Republic and warned of a “new Cold War.”

During his speech at the Munich event on Saturday, Wang said President Xi Jinping will soon unveil a plan to halt fighting in Ukraine, insisting his country would not “add fuel to the fire.”

“We will put forward China’s position on the political settlement on the Ukraine crisis, and stay firm on the side of peace and dialogue,” he said.

After meeting with Wang in recent days, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he expects the Chinese proposal to be released by the end of the week.

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/china-will-present-peace-proposal-to-end-war-in-ukraine/

Another turn as the year anniversary approach….looks like this is gonna be a long drawn out conflict…..just what most want.

Is this an escalation in the making?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”