As a “good message” for the cohesion of the West and solidarity towards Ukrainethe government spokesman described Stephen Hembestright today’s visit of US President Joe Biden to Kiev, a few days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. The chancellor Olaf Solz will meet with Joe Biden on March 3, in Washington.

According to Mr. Hebstreit, Mr. Solz will also participate on Friday in a teleconference of the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), which will be held on the occasion of the completion of one year since the start of the war in Ukraine. Asked whether both the G7 meeting and the chancellor’s upcoming visit to the US are aimed at coordinating new equipment deliveries to Ukraine, the German government spokesman limited himself to saying that arms delivery talks were “ongoing” anyway and not are the subject of Mr. Scholtz’s bilateral meeting with President Biden.

However, when asked whether the federal government has information about Chinese arms deliveries to Russia, Stephen Hempstreit answered in the negative, but pointed out that Berlin takes seriously the statements of the US Secretary of State on the matter – “even with some concern, as long as they are accurate.” Mr Blinken said earlier today that there were reports of backing Beijing with “non-lethal weapons” but possibly “lethal” ones. Such an escalation would mean “serious consequences” for China, the US secretary of state warned.

Mr Hempstreit clarified that at the moment there is “no evidence of that” and added that Mr Soltz had met the Chinese top diplomat at the weekend. Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference and reiterated the federal government’s position on the matter. He also pointed out to him, the government spokesman said, that Berlin “welcomes the fact that China is not supplying Moscow with lethal weapons.” “Now we’ll have to wait and see about everything else,” Mr Hembestright added.

On the same subject, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, speaking on German Radio today, stressed that handing over Chinese weapons to Russia would lead to an escalation of the war. “That would be a turning point – and not for the better. If China is indeed delivering weapons to Russia, this should have consequences for our dealings with Beijing. I hope we don’t get there, but covert arms deliveries will also have consequences,” he added.