A United States official says, Russia has asked China for military equipment to use in its invasion of Ukraine, a request that heightened tensions about the ongoing war before a meeting between senior US and Chinese officials in Rome.

Reports say in advance of the talks today, White House National Security Agency’s Jake Sullivan bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy.

Sullivan said they will not allow that to go forward.

Meanwhile, the president of China Xi Jinping said, they support peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.