https://www.ft.com/content/755b7302-6f69-4790-a143-d75dd2ad8aef
Classified document suggests Beijing did not respond to Russian paramilitary group’s request for weapons in early 2023
Russian paramilitary group Wagner, notorious for its brutal role in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, unsuccessfully asked China for supplies of weapons earlier this year, according to a leaked US intelligence report.
Representatives from Wagner, which is controlled by close Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, “sought munitions and equipment” from China in “early 2023”, according to the previously unreported document.
But as of early January, China
“had not sent [Wagner] any weapons, not even for testing, and had no contact with [Wagner] regarding weapons deliveries”, according to the report.
The US has publicly claimed China is considering supplying Russia with lethal arms to replace crucial stocks of ammunition, artillery and missiles, but there is no evidence Beijing has provided such assistance.
The CIA and National Security Council declined to comment.