Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned during a German news interview that if China allies itself with Russia, World War III will be inevitable, the Daily Wire reported. 

U.S. intelligence officials reported over the weekend that they think China is considering giving lethal aid to Russia, just ahead of a surprise visit from President Joe Biden to Kyiv, the war-torn capital city of Ukraine.

“For us, it is important that China does not support the Russian Federation in this war,” the Ukrainian president told German daily Die Welt, according to Reuters. “In fact, I would like it to be on our side. At the moment, however, I don’t think it’s possible.”

“But I do see an opportunity for China to make a pragmatic assessment of what is happening here,” Zelensky added. “Because if China allies itself with Russia, there will be a world war, and I do think that China is aware of that.”

There will be "consequences"

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken acknowledged on Sunday that there is concern over China's intentions with Russia and warned there would be "consequences" if China did give lethal aid to Russia.

“We’ve been watching this very, very closely. And, for the most part, China has been engaged in providing rhetorical, political, diplomatic support to Russia, but we have information that gives us concern that they are considering providing lethal support to Russia in the war against Ukraine,” Blinken said.

China has provided tactical support to Russia, including navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter jet parts.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has provided nearly $200 billion in aid to Ukraine, including tanks, weapons, ammunition, and humanitarian assistance with very little accountability for how the money is spent.

China says it wants peace

An estimated 100,000 soldiers on each side have reportedly been killed in the war, plus another 40,000 civilians.

China claims it wants to see peace in the region, and believes that giving aid to Russia will help that happen.

Ukraine has demanded that before it will agree to peace, its land must be returned to it, including the Crimea region that Russia has held since 2014, seven years before the latest invasion.

China's involvement is not going to help peace happen, but of course, neither they nor Russia can see that.

"Trying to have it both ways"

Beijing is "trying to have it both ways,” Blinken said on Meet the Press. “Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine. But privately, as I said, we’ve seen already over these past months the provision of nonlethal assistance that does go directly to aiding and abetting Russia’s war effort.”

Blinken wasn't specific about the type of lethal aid China may provide, but said it could include weapons.