Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said Ukrainian troops had captured two Chinese nationals who were reportedly fighting for Russia in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. The news has sparked diplomatic concern, with Kyiv calling for an official explanation from Beijing.
Our army detained two Chinese nationals who served in the Russian army. This was on Ukrainian soil – namely, in Donetsk,” Zelenskyy stated on social media, together with video recordings of one of the detained men. He further included that Ukrainian authorities had confiscated personal documents, bank cards, and other identification materials from the two men.
In reply, Ukraine’s foreign ministry called in China’s charge d’affaires to request an explanation. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Beijing’s claims of neutrality, saying the deployment of Chinese fighter jets “undermines China’s credibility” and is at odds with its public position on peace.
Though China has positioned itself as a neutral observer in the conflict, it keeps close political and economic relations with Moscow. Beijing has consistently reported that it doesn’t supply weapons to either of the warring parties, as opposed to a number of Western nations supporting Ukraine. Yet previously, NATO accused China of being a “decisive enabler” of Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy called for global partners, including the US and Europe, to react to this turn of events, speculating that it indicates Russian President Vladimir Putin’s determination to continue the war no matter the expense. He also expressed fear regarding foreign military deployment, including alleged deployment of North Korean forces to Russia’s Kursk region.
“This is evident proof that Putin has no willingness to end the war,” stressed Zelenskyy, asking for an instant dialogue with worldwide allies. In addition, he announced that Ukraine has evidence supporting the idea of more Chinese nationals fighting with Russian troops.
On the other hand, Kyiv persists in making diplomatic overtures to Beijing by appointing a new ambassador in China.