While peace talks over Ukraine appear to be stalled following separate maritime and energy ceasefire deals between Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington in late March, reports emerged on Tuesday alleging the capture of Chinese mercenaries fighting against Ukrainian forces on Ukrainian territory. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a post on X that two Chinese citizens were apprehended in the Donetsk region, adding that, according to intelligence sources, many more Chinese nationals were fighting alongside Russian units.
At first glance, the story seems more like an attempt by Kyiv to draw China into the conflict and, at the same time, reinforce Washington’s support for Ukraine’s self-defence—support that has significantly declined since Donald Trump took office on 20 January and launched negotiations with Russia in February to end the war. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called the reports ‘disturbing’ on Tuesday, adding that ‘China continues to play a key enabling role in Russia’s war against Ukraine.’
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s foreign ministry had called on Beijing to investigate the presence of Chinese nationals on the front line. According to Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, that request is being addressed. While dismissing allegations of a broader Chinese military presence in Ukraine as ‘totally unfounded’, Lin confirmed that Chinese authorities were cooperating with Kyiv in investigating the case of the two captured citizens. He reiterated China’s commitment to maintaining a neutral and constructive role in pursuing a political resolution to the Ukraine crisis, urging the Ukrainian side to recognize and appreciate China’s peace efforts accurately.
‘Chinese authorities were cooperating with Kyiv in investigating the case of the two captured citizens’
Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chinese–Russian relations have grown significantly closer. While Beijing continues to deny supplying arms, Western and Ukrainian reports claim that China is providing a substantial volume of dual-use technology to Russia, helping Moscow replace military equipment lost in the war, despite Western sanctions targeting the defence and technology sectors. China is also among the countries that have increased imports of Russian energy since the outbreak of the war, helping offset the revenue shortfall caused by declining Western purchases.
From the outset of the conflict, China has positioned itself as a key promoter of peace on the international stage. On the first anniversary of the war, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a 12-point peace plan, which was endorsed by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has also been advocating for peace since 2022 Febraury. Beijing also supported US President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate a settlement between Ukraine and Russia at the G20 summit in South Africa in February.
However, tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated sharply after Trump imposed 104 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods on Wednesday, signalling the onset of an intense trade war. In response, China vowed not to back down and rejected what it called Washington’s ‘bullying’.
‘The timing of Zelenskyy’s announcement raises further questions, as it appears to capitalize on heightened US–China tensions’
Given this context, the timing of Zelenskyy’s announcement raises further questions, as it appears to capitalize on heightened US–China tensions. Nevertheless, this is not the first time reports of Chinese involvement in the war have surfaced. In October 2024 Newsweek reported that a Russian Telegram channel had claimed two Chinese nationals were killed in combat in Ukraine, though the reports were never officially confirmed. Earlier, in March 2024 the same outlet cited Russian military blogger Pavel Kukushkin, who claimed Chinese mercenaries were fighting against Ukrainian forces. ‘There is no language barrier! A volunteer from the People’s Republic of China communicates with the commander of the Pyatnashka International Brigade using an online translator,’ Kukushkin wrote. These claims, too, were never officially verified.
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