US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Chinese counterpart Wang Yi of consequences should Beijing provide material support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In an interview after the two met, he said that Washington was concerned China was considering supplying weapons to Moscow.

The top diplomats of the two superpowers met at an undisclosed location on the sidelines of a global security conference in Munich, just hours after Mr Wang scolded Washington as “hysterical” in a running dispute over the US downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

Relations between the two countries have been fraught since Washington said China flew a spy balloon over the continental US before American fighter jets shot it down on US President Joe Biden’s orders.

The dispute comes as the West is closely watching Beijing’s response to the Ukraine war, which is nearing its one year anniversary, 24 February.

In an interview to be aired on Sunday (local time) on NBC News program Meet the Press, Mr Blinken said the US was concerned China was considering providing lethal support to Russia.

He said he had made clear to Mr Wang that “would have serious consequences in our relationship”.

“There are various kinds of lethal assistance that they are at least contemplating providing, to include weapons,” Mr Blinken said.

Mr Wang told Mr Blinken the US must “face up to and resolve the damage” to bilateral relations “caused by the indiscriminate use of force”, according to a brief statement on Sunday by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In another statement, the ministry warned Washington against further escalation.

“If the US insists on taking advantage of the issue, escalating the hype, and expanding the situation, China will follow through to the end, and the US will bear all the consequences,” it said.

In a briefing call to reporters, a senior State Department official said China was trying to “have it both ways” by claiming it wants to contribute to peace and stability while taking “concerning” steps to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“[The] secretary was quite blunt in warning about the implications and consequences of China providing material support to Russia or assisting Russia with systematic sanctions evasion,” the senior official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Russia and China signed a “no limits” partnership last February before Russian forces invaded Ukraine and their economic links have boomed as Moscow’s connections with the West have shrivelled.

The West has been wary of China’s response to the Ukraine war, with some warning a Russian victory would colour China’s actions toward Taiwan.

China has refrained from condemning the war or calling it an “invasion”.

Earlier, speaking at a panel at the conference, Mr Wang reiterated a call for dialogue and suggested European countries “think calmly” about how to end the war.

He said there were “some forces that seemingly don’t want negotiations to succeed, or for the war to end soon”, without elaborating.

The US government declared Sunday that it had determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in it’s war in Ukraine.

Tweet from @SecBlinken

Mr Blinken and Mr Wangi’s meeting came hours after the top Chinese diplomat took a swipe at the US, accusing it of violating international norms with “hysterical” behaviour by shooting down the balloon.

The balloon’s flight this month over US territory triggered an uproar in Washington and prompted Mr Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing.

“To have dispatched an advanced fighter jet to shoot down a balloon with a missile, such behaviour is unbelievable, almost hysterical,” Mr Wang said.

“There are so many balloons all over the world, and various countries have them. So, is the United States going to shoot all of them down?”

In the interview with NBC, Mr Blinken said Mr Wang had not apologised for the balloon’s flight.

“I told him quite simply that that was unacceptable and can never happen again,” Mr Blinken said, referring to the balloon’s violation of US air space.

“There was no apology.”

Mr Blinken said he had not discussed rescheduling his trip to China with Wang.

Ukraine troops prepare for fresh offensive

Ukrainian troops conducting weekend exercises near the small town of Siversk, in the country’s east, said they were preparing to defend one of the possible targets of a new Russian offensive.

Siversk, which had a pre-war population of 10,000, is 35 kilometres north of Bakhmut – scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks – and on a direct road to another of the key towns in the Donetsk region, Sloviansk.

“If they occupied Bakhmut, then we would be semi-encircled, because on the left side we have the Siverskyi Donets river, and the enemy will advance from the right, and it is possible to cut us off if they reach the Bakhmut highway,” said the deputy Siversk battalion commander, who used the nom-de-guerre “Han”.

Ukrainian forces have appealed for more advanced weapons from Kyiv’s Western allies to help defend Bakhmut, which is being attacked by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group.

One soldier defending Siversk said their mostly Soviet-era artillery was outgunned by the enemy.

“We have one artillery attack from our side, and the Russians can do it five times more,” 30-year-old Stefan said.

“It’s very difficult for the guys who are standing, especially at the first line [of defence], they feel it too much.”

Capturing Bakhmut would give Russian forces a stepping stone to advance on two bigger cities further west, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
But Ukraine and its Western allies say success there would be a largely Pyrrhic victory for Moscow, given the time taken and losses sustained.

Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Russian shells have hit the town of Druzhkivka, according to local authorities.

In western Ukraine, a long-range rocket hit a military object in the capital of Khmelnytskyi province, according to authorities. Another missile hit near a holding area. The blast wave damaged several homes and schools.

On Sunday morning, there was an intermittent air alert in eastern and southern Ukraine, with no reports of actual attacks.

-AAP