US, China argue over Ukraine at United Nations, Reuters reports

The United States on July 25 urged China to stop enabling Russia's war in Ukraine during a United Nations Security Council meeting, prompting a sharp rebuke from Beijing, which accused Washington of shifting blame and creating confrontation.

"If China is sincere in calling for peace, it should stop fueling Russia's aggression," acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said at the U.N. Security Council meeting

According to Reuters, the acting U.S. ambassador called on all countries — explicitly naming China — to halt exports of dual-use goods to Russia, which are sustaining Moscow's weapons production and fueling its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.

"Beijing's claim to have implemented strong export controls on dual-use goods falls apart in the face of daily recovery of Chinese-produced components in the drones, weapons, and vehicles that Russia uses against Ukraine," Shea said.

China's deputy U.N. Ambassador Geng Shuang rejected the accusations, insisting Beijing is not a party to the war and has "strictly controlled dual-use materials, including the export of drones."

"We urge the U.S. to stop shifting blame on the Ukraine issue or creating confrontation," Geng said, "and instead play a more constructive role in promoting a ceasefire and peace talks."

The exchange followed recent reports that Chinese drone engines are being covertly funneled to Russia, circumventing Western sanctions.

Despite its claims to the contrary, China remains one of Russia's closest wartime economic partners. It is Moscow's top crude oil buyer and a major supplier of dual-use goods used in Russia's defense sector.

Earlier this month, the South China Morning Post reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas that China "cannot afford" for Russia to lose the war in Ukraine, citing unnamed sources familiar with the exchange.

Ukraine has raised alarms over Beijing's alignment with Moscow. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned of China's role in prolonging the war and accused it of siding with the Kremlin.