US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Wednesday that China has not yet “crossed the line” to supplying Russia with lethal weapons as part of its war in Ukraine.

“So far, we have not found that they have crossed this line,” the US secretary of state said in response to a question during his testimony before the Senate in Washington.

Blinken has been publicly warning for weeks that China is considering Russia’s request for weapons to fight in Ukraine.

This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow, where he presented a proposal for a cease-fire.The call has been questioned by Washington, which fears Russia could take advantage of the ceasefire to regroup its field forces.

Of China, Blinken said, “I think their diplomatic support, their political support and to some extent their material support for Russia is against our interest in ending this war.”

Arrest warrant

Blinken indicated that the United States would encourage the extradition of Russian President Vladimir Putin if he traveled to other countries after an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court.

He explained, “I believe that any member of the court has duties and must fulfill his duties.”

Putin and his Chinese counterpart (AFP)

His comments came in response to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who said the United States should arrest Putin if he ever set foot on American soil.

Washington is not a member

The US is not a member of the International Criminal Court, and the investigation into US crimes in Afghanistan has angered Washington, prompting the administration of former President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on the former prosecutor of the judicial body.

Blinken said he did not expect Putin to visit the US.

Russia is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, which will hold its summit in San Francisco in November, but the US is unlikely to invite Putin.

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