Western leaders have warned leaders elsewhere not to supply any weapons to Russia. They do not want to see any supplies that might fuel the war effort. So, they are wondering why an ally of President Vladimir Putin planned a visit to China.
President Xi Jinping invited Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for a three-day visit that starts on Tuesday. Analysts with the Institute for the Study of War said Lukashenko could help in efforts to evade sanctions. They said Chinese officials may try to use agreements with Belarus to hide any violations.
"The US has been spreading false information about China's supply of weapons to Russia, taking the opportunity to penalize Chinese companies, for no reason," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning.
Russian forces have exhausted their supplies of weapons and ammunition during a year of fighting. They have brought in drones from Iran and used some in an attack that began on Sunday. Western leaders fear a new source of arms could change the dynamics on the battlefield.