Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Wednesday that over 150 Chinese citizens are fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine. Chinese officials have described the Ukrainian president’s allegations as “totally unfounded.”
In a Wednesday post on X, formerly Twitter, Zelensky wrote, “As of now, we have precise data on over 150 Chinese citizens who were involved in the war against Ukraine by Russia. We know that the actual number is higher.”
Zelensky added, “Ukraine believes that such blatant involvement of Chinese citizens in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine during the war of aggression is a deliberate step towards the expansion of the war, and is yet another indication that Moscow simply needs to drag out the fighting.”
The Ukrainian president claimed that Russia “doesn’t care who dies in this insane war” and that Russia wants the war to continue in Ukraine. Sharing a video of two Chinese citizens captured by Ukraine, Zelensky said, “We all need—all partners, all fair-minded participants in international relations—to deprive Russia of the ability to continue the war, including through the use of people like these.”
On Tuesday, Zelensky shared a video of one of the Chinese citizens captured by Ukraine, tweeting, “Our military has captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting as part of the Russian army. This happened on Ukrainian territory—in the Donetsk region. Identification documents, bank cards, and personal data were found in their possession.”
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Zelensky explained that he instructed Ukraine’s minister of Foreign Affairs to “immediately contact” Chinese officials in Beijing and “clarify how China intends to respond” to the report of Chinese citizens fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president noted that the Chinese citizens captured by Ukraine remain in custody with the Security Service of Ukraine as officials conduct “relevant investigative and operational actions.”
On Tuesday, Tammy Bruce, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, described the reports of Chinese citizens fighting for Russia in Ukraine as “disturbing,” according to The Associated Press.
Bruce stated, “China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine.” The State Department spokesperson added that China provides Russia with roughly 80% of the dual-use items the country requires to continue its war against Ukraine.
According to The Associated Press, Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, claimed on Wednesday that China has played a “constructive role in politically resolving the Ukraine crisis” and that “the Chinese government always asks Chinese citizens to stay away from conflict zones, avoid getting involved in any form of armed conflict, and especially refrain from participating in any party’s military operations.” The outlet added that Chinese officials have described Ukraine’s reports as “totally unfounded.”
