Kremlin cynically responds to Zelenskyy: China is not fighting, it is a strategic partner
Photo: captured Chinese soldier (t.me/SBUkr)
Russia is not dragging China into the war against Ukraine; the two countries have a strong strategic partnership, states the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian Telegram channels.
Journalists asked Peskov what he thinks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement that Russia is recruiting Chinese nationals for the war. Ukraine has already established that around 155 Chinese citizens are fighting on the Russian side.
In response, Peskov cynically denied the claim, saying that China is a strategic partner of Russia and that "Zelenskyy is wrong."
"That is not true. China maintains a balanced position. China is our strategic partner, our friend," Peskov said.
Ukrainian Armed Forces capture Chinese citizens
Recently, it became known that Ukrainian soldiers captured two Chinese nationals in the Donetsk region. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a video showing the prisoners.
In response, Ukraine summoned China’s chargé d’affaires. Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is “verifying the situation” with Ukraine. The US State Department also reacted to the events, stating that China is one of Russia’s key enablers.
Yesterday, RBC-Ukraine, citing intelligence sources, reported that the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) had already interrogated the captured Chinese citizens and disclosed their names. Later, RBC-Ukraine obtained documents indicating that Chinese military personnel are participating en masse in the war against Ukraine as part of the Russian army.
According to Zelenskyy, China was aware of its citizens’ involvement in the war on the side of the Russian Federation.
“I asked the foreign minister to handle this. He is in contact with the Chinese side. So far, there is no additional information,” the president said.
Today, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a new statement regarding the capture of its citizens by Ukrainian forces on the front line. This marks the second such statement in recent days.
China–Russia relations
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China has declared a neutral stance on the war. Beijing officially states that it does not provide military assistance to either side. However, a number of Chinese companies continue to supply Russia with dual-use goods that can be used for military purposes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains close personal ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Notably, in May 2023, Putin paid a visit to China. Despite Western sanctions, economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing continues to grow actively.
At the same time, Beijing has also presented its own peace plan for Ukraine, which includes calls for the resumption of negotiations and criticism of sanctions. In the fall of 2024, it became known that China and Brazil had developed a joint peace plan.
