US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China against arming Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, hours after Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, said his country will offer a settlement proposal that respects “the sovereignty of all countries” and addresses their “legitimate security concerns.”
(Bloomberg) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China against arming Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, hours after Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, said his country will offer a settlement proposal that respects “the sovereignty of all countries” and addresses their “legitimate security concerns.”
Blinken delivered his warning to Wang at a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking earlier at the high-level gathering in the Bavarian capital, said NATO should try to agree on a security guarantee for Ukraine by July and called on China to “play a responsible role.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called on NATO allies to supply Ukraine with fighter jets, citing an urgent need for more weapons and ammunition to fend off invading Russian forces.
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Key Developments
- Blinken Rebukes China Over Balloon, Warns Against Arming Russia
- Europe’s Rebel Leader Woos Germany to Profit From Arms Race
- Russia’s Shadow Oil Tanker Fleet Becomes Everyone Else’s Problem
- Ukraine Clears Hurdle to Begin Talks on Full-Fledged IMF Loan
On the Ground
The threat from Russian air and missile strikes remains high, Ukraine’s General Staff said in its daily report. Russia continues to concentrate its efforts on offensive operations on the axes of Kupyansk, Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarske, according to the report. Ukrainian officials reported that they shot down at least six balloons with radar reflectors over Kyiv, the UK defense ministry said in its latest Intelligence Update. The balloons were likely deployed by Russia and part of an attempt to gain information about air-defense systems and compel Ukraine to expend stocks of missile and ammunition.
(All times CET)
Kyiv Mayor Steps Up Call for Fighters (9:30 a.m.)
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called on NATO allies to supply Ukraine with fighter jets, citing an urgent need for more weapons and ammunition to fend off invading Russian forces.
“I don’t understand why there are always new red lines,” Klitschko was quoted as saying by Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “One thing is clear: we have to take back our country, and for that we need everything that is necessary.” NATO members including the US and Britain have said it’s not feasible to send fighters to Ukraine for the time being but haven’t ruled out doing so down the road.
Ukraine Needs Palantir Technologies to Analyze War Crimes (9 a.m.)
Ukraine will benefit from expanding access to Palantir Technologies Inc. products to collect and analyze evidence of war crimes, the prosecutor’s office said on Telegram. Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin discussed expert support and training with Palantir CEO Alex Karp in Munich. Ukrainian military and law enforcement have been using the company’s technologies and Karp visited Ukraine in the summer and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Blinken Says China Weighing Lethal Support (11:30 p.m.)
“The concern that we have now is based on information we have that they’re considering providing lethal support,” Blinken said in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” shortly after meeting with Wang. “And we’ve made very clear to them that that could cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship.”
Dutch Order Russian Diplomats to Leave (7:30 p.m.)
The Dutch government ordered about 10 Russian diplomats to leave the country, saying Moscow has been using diplomatic cover for espionage.
The cabinet will also temporarily shut the consulate-general in St. Petersburg, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement. The government has ruled that there may not be more Russian diplomats in the Netherlands than Dutch diplomats in Russia, Hoekstra said.
Orban Says Europe Indirectly at War With Russia (4:14 p.m.)
“Europe is getting immersed in war, in reality they’re already indirectly at war with Russia,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in his annual state of the nation speech.
Orban, the EU leader with the closest ties to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, reiterated that Hungary won’t supply weapons to Ukraine and doesn’t view Russia as a security threat.
Estonia to Prod EU on Protecting Moldova (3:53 p.m.)
Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said oligarchs accused of helping to destabilize Moldova and potentially overthrow its pro-European government should be targeted with EU sanctions.
Reinsalu said he’ll put the request to the bloc next week in Brussels. Any such measure could, however, face “legalistic” barriers, he said in an interview during the Munich Security Conference.
Sunak Sees Conflict at Inflection Point (1:35 p.m.)
Sunak said the war in Ukraine has reached an “inflection point” and it’s critical for allies to provide more advanced weaponry.
Ukraine “has the ability to gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield,” Sunak said during a conversation with Bloomberg TV’s Maria Tadeo. “It can’t just be about defending.” Talks on a new security guarantee for Ukraine should start now so they can be wrapped up by NATO’s July summit in Vilnius, he said.
–With assistance from Kateryna Choursina.
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