The United States on Monday said that China will have to face consequences if it aids Russia’s “military operation” in Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported.

“We are watching very closely the extent to which the PRC [the People’s Republic of China] or any country in the world provides support – material, economic, financial, rhetorical, otherwise – to this war of choice that President [Vladimir] Putin is waging against Ukraine,” said Ned Price, US State Department spokesperson.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday said that Beijing was not offering military assistance to Moscow, Reuters reported. He added that the US has been “maliciously spreading disinformation targeting China”.

“We have been playing a constructive part in promoting peace talks,” Zhao said.

On March 9, China had called for restraint in the conflict and had expressed support for discussions to end the conflict. However, it has not denounced the invasion.

On February 28, China also abstained from voting on the United Nations Security Council resolution on holding a special emergency session of the body’s General Assembly to discuss Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Russia on February 24 had invaded Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the invasion as a “special military operation” aimed at dislodging the “neo-Nazis” ruling Ukraine. On March 5, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated the number of people fleeing Ukraine in face of the Russian invasion to be 13 lakh.

The bombing of several Ukrainian cities has resulted in nearly 50,000 casualties so far.