The Chinese government is considering sending Russia drones and ammunition for use in the war in Ukraine, a source familiar with the intelligence disclosed.
The sources said that Beijing does not appear to have made a final decision yet but negotiations between Russia and China about the price and scope of the equipment are ongoing.
Russia since its invasion in Ukraine has requested drones and ammunition from China multiple times.
According to the sources, Chinese leadership has been actively debating over the last several months whether or not to send the lethal aid.
If China sends Russia weapons, it could alter the fighting on the ground, tipping the fight in favor of Moscow — a reality the U.S. and its European allies have worked to avoid with hundreds of billions of dollars in weapons shipments.
The U.S has previously warned China about sending lethal aid to Russia.
In a meeting with China’s top diplomat at the Munich Security Conference, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he told Wang Yi that such a move would severely impair the diplomatic relationship between Washington and Beijing.