The United States has threatened China with economic sanctions if it helps
Russia bypass sanctions Washington will impose over the Ukraine crisis. This
threat was conveyed by a spokesman for the US State Department, Ned Price.
"The US has a set of tools that we can use if we see foreign companies,
including those in China, doing their best to reinstate US export control
measures, to circumvent them, to get around them," Price said during a press
conference on Thursday Washington time or Friday (4/2/2022) WIB.
"If Russia thought that it would be in a position to mitigate some of those
consequences, with closer ties to China, that's not the case," he said.
"This will actually make the Russian economy, in many ways, more fragile,"
Price continued, referring to the hypothetical US sanctions against Moscow
over a possible invasion of Ukraine.
Price continues to warn Russia that they cannot survive without the West,
claiming, "If you deny your ability to transact with the West, to import
with the West, from Europe, from the United States, you will significantly
reduce your productive capacity and innovative potential. ”
At the same press conference, Price claimed to have evidence of US
intelligence that Russia was planning a "false flag" operation against
Ukraine.
That is, Moscow will fabricate an attack by Kiev troops to serve as a
justification for military aggression against Ukraine.
However, Price was criticized by an AP journalist for refusing to provide
any evidence to the public to substantiate the claim.
Moscow has repeatedly dismissed accusations that it was planning an invasion
of Ukraine as "hysteria" and "fake news".
In fact, Kiev at one point has criticized Western officials and media for
undermining its economy with persistent fears about an imminent war.
