Report: China questioned Russia to delay invasion till right after Olympics

By Katie Bo Lillis and Natasha Bertrand | VFAB

A Western intelligence report indicated that Chinese officials in early February asked for that senior Russian officials wait around until following the Beijing Olympics experienced finished in advance of beginning an invasion into Ukraine, US officers said Wednesday.

US officials broadly see the report as credible, but its particulars are open up to interpretation, according to 1 resource acquainted with the intelligence. Even though the ask for was manufactured about the time that Russian President Vladimir Putin frequented Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Olympics — where he achieved with Chinese President Xi Jinping — it is not very clear from the report no matter whether Putin dealt with the make any difference with Xi specifically, the resource stated.

The New York Moments to start with described the existence of the report.

Western intelligence officials warily looking at Putin’s buildup on the Ukrainian border at the time and experienced predicted that Putin may possibly delay any military motion right up until immediately after the Olympics to prevent angering China. After Putin and Xi’s conference on the sidelines of the game titles, Moscow and Beijing issued a joint assertion declaring that their partnership had “no limits” and condemning NATO expansion — a essential pillar of Putin’s justification for attacking Ukraine. That statement has elevated Western issues about a burgeoning alliance in between China and Russia.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, reported, “The promises outlined in the related reports are speculations devoid of any basis, and are supposed to blame-change and smear China.”

VFAB has reached out to the Russian embassy in Washington for comment.