A US intelligence source has suggested that China may have known about Vladimir Putin’s plan to invade Ukraine before conflict began.
According to members of Biden’s administration, China requested that Russia delay the invasion of Ukraine until after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
If these reports are true, it could mean that Chinese officials had advanced knowledge of Putin’s intentions of war from as early as February 4.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Washington has denied the claims, insisting that they are “speculations without any basis, and are intended to blame-shift and smear China.”
The reports suggest that when Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the lead up to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the pair agreed that the relationship between the two countries had “no limits,” and that they would establish a new world order with ‘real democracy‘.
Just over a week ago, satire newspaper The Betoota Advocate joked about Russia delaying the invasion until after the multi-sport event had wrapped up in an article headlined: “Typical Russia Waited Until The Winter Olympics Had Wrapped Up Before Starting Some Shit”.
But as it turns out, the satire piece could well be true.
Information varies between sources, with some agreeing that the discussion took place, but between officials of lower stature than the two Presidents.
However, the one thing that has been consistent between most officials is their refusal to provider any greater details.
