Ukrainian Intelligence: No indication of a Chinese weapons supply to Russia

The head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview broadcast by Voice of America on Monday that he saw no indication that China intends to supply weapons to Russia.

Speaking about recent statements by US officials to the effect that China intends to provide the Russian army with weapons to help it invade Ukraine, accusations strongly denied by Beijing, Budanov said, “I don’t share this opinion”.

In an interview conducted by VoA radio with him last week, Budanov added, “At the meantime, I don’t think that China will agree to send weapons to Russia… I don’t see any indication that such matters are even being discussed”.

Budanov said, “I am the head of the intelligence service, and with all the respect I have for you (Americans), I don’t rely on the opinions of individuals, but only on facts… I don’t see facts like that”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had expressed, during a meeting he held with his Chinese counterpart earlier this month, concerns about arms shipments that China is believed to intend to supply to Russia.

In an interview with him, the director of the CIA, Sunday, expressed his belief that China is still studying this possibility.

During a visit to Kazakhstan, Blinken again warned Beijing of the consequences of helping Russia in the war.

Blinken criticized what he considered a duplicity in the Chinese position regarding the conflict in Ukraine, saying, “China cannot present peace proposals on the one hand and pour oil on the other hand on the fire that Russia ignited,” referring to a recent proposal by China to launch negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

Blinken said that the United States has informed China that it will impose sanctions on companies or individuals that support Russia in the war.

Intelligence reports had reported quoting US officials that China was in the process of taking a decision regarding supplying drones and some ammunition to Russia.

In response to a question about the parties that are still able to supply Russia with weapons, Budanov confirmed that Iran is practically the only country that transfers weapons of a dangerous degree to Russia.

“There was information that something came from North Korea, but we don’t have confirmation of that… There’s no case where we have detected a North Korean weapon here”.

As for the head of the Ukrainian intelligence service, “Russia is just trying to buy everything that is available to it from wherever it’s available to it, because its problems are huge”.