Xi Jinping Reportedly Snubbed Putin Ally's Request To Supply Arms: US Intel Leak

Xi Jinping reportedly snubbed Vladimir Putin's ally and Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's request for weapons supplies earlier this year, according to a leaked US intelligence report.

What Happened: The Putin-linked mercenary "sought munitions and equipment" from the Chinese government in "early 2023," the Financial Times reported, citing a leaked US intelligence report.

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The report added that Putin’s ally's direct request to Beijing indicated that the private mercenary group had some confidence Xi's administration would be open to arming Moscow.

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," it said. 

Why It Matters: The US and its allies have repeatedly said that Beijing is considering supplying Russia with lethal arms to replace crucial stocks of ammunition, artillery, and missiles amid Putin's intensifying war in Ukraine. 

The report noted that besides China, the Wagner group also reached out to Belarus and Syria, Russia’s closest allies, and successfully purchased weapons.

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