VOA News: Flashpoint Ukraine: Growing Concerns that China May Provide Lethal Aid to Russia

February 27, 2023

by: Lori Lundin

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Bush China Foundation President and CEO David Firestein was featured on the most recent episode of VOA News’ program “Flashpoint Ukraine” and discussed the possibility of China sending aid to Russia as it continues its war on Ukraine. In the interview, David said:

“If China were to go down the road of actually supplying lethal aid to Russia in its assault against Ukraine, it would be surprising to me. I would find it hard to believe that China would regard the provision of lethal aid to Russia as being in China’s interests…the costs would be immense and China understands that.”

“The way to end this peacefully is for Russia to simply stop its unjustified and unprovoked assault.”

In response to Lori’s inquiry on whether the provision of aid from China to Russia would change the U.S.-China relationship, David said:

It would be a major turning point in relationship because it would place China into a proxy military with the United States for the first time since the Vietnam War... it would have a major impacts on a variety of areas in the relationship; trade relationship, political relationship and U.S. public sentiment toward China. It would affect U.S. sentiment, including Congress, on the U.S. provision of sensitive technologies to China, Chinese investment in the United States and frankly I think it would color U.S. thinking as it relates to Taiwan.