China has refuted allegations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stated that Chinese citizens are being recruited to fight alongside Russian forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
President Zelensky claimed that Ukrainian authorities have intelligence on 155 Chinese nationals participating in combat with Russian troops, following the release of a video by the Ukrainian military purportedly showing two Chinese mercenaries captured in eastern Ukraine.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian remarked that parties involved should accurately understand China’s role and avoid making irresponsible comments. He made these remarks without directly mentioning Ukraine or President Zelensky during a press briefing.
Zelensky has intensified criticisms of China in recent days after reports emerged of the capture of two Chinese citizens in the Donetsk region. He accused Beijing of turning a blind eye to the recruitment of its nationals by Russia, allowing them to participate in a conflict that has now entered its fourth year. He emphasized that China must have been aware of its citizens joining another country’s military for payment.
While China has denied sending troops to Ukraine to fight alongside Russian forces, the involvement of Chinese nationals as mercenaries has been documented in social media posts in both Russian and Chinese languages. It is believed that over a hundred Chinese citizens may have traveled to Ukraine to fight for Russian forces. Additionally, a database from Russia’s Ministry of Defense hospitals, exclusively obtained by Radio Free Europe in February, indicated that Chinese mercenaries were injured while serving alongside Russian troops.
Zelensky expressed uncertainty about whether China had issued any directives regarding its citizens fighting for Russia. However, he asserted that Beijing must have been aware of some individuals joining another nation’s military for compensation.
While foreign fighters have been a factor on both sides since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, this marks the first time Kyiv has accused China of direct involvement through its citizens. China has maintained a stance of neutrality in the conflict, hesitating to provide arms or military expertise to Russia
