President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian troops captured two Chinese citizens fighting for Russia, the first time its nationals were taken prisoner in the three-year war.
The Chinese men were taken captive during fighting on Ukrainian territory in the Donetsk region, Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday. He said he’d instructed Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to immediately reach out to his counterpart in Beijing about the incident.
Writing on X, where he posted a video of one of the alleged men, Zelenskyy said Kyiv has “information suggesting that there are many more Chinese citizens” fighting.
“Russia’s involvement of China, along with other countries, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything but end the war,” he wrote, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I understand that we are a strong country, but we cannot fight multiple countries at the same time, all of whom want something on our land,” Zelenskyy said in a joint briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
China’s Foreign Ministry objected to Zelenskyy’s remarks that more Chinese citizens were at the front line alongside Russians, calling them “groundless.”
“Ukraine should correctly view China’s efforts and constructive role in seeking a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular news conference Wednesday.
China was verifying the situation with Ukraine, he said, adding that its government had always required its citizens to avoid areas of armed conflict and “especially to avoid participating in the military operations of any party.”
Beijing, which has engaged in some diplomatic efforts for peace, has said it has been objective and fair on the war.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the reports of Chinese nationals captured in Ukraine were disturbing but did not say whether Washington has verified the claim.
Unlike North Korea, China is not known to have sent troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. There have been reports of Chinese nationals independently volunteering to fight with Russia.
Preliminary questioning of the men suggests that they were both recruited to fight for Russia rather than via any Chinese state involvement, according to a Ukrainian assessment shared with reporters on condition of anonymity due to the matter’s diplomatic sensitivity.
The first man, whose age was given as 33, was recruited by a representative of Russia’s army in China, after which he traveled to Moscow to sign a contract, according to the initial assessment.
The second, 31, said that he found an online advertisement regarding a contract with the Russian army which promised a 2 million ruble ($23,200) payment. He filled in a form and was contacted by a representative of the Russian army who spoke Chinese.
Sybiha summoned the Chinese chargé d’affaires for the first time in the history of official relations between their two countries to demand an explanation.
“Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China’s declared stance for peace,” the foreign minister said in a statement on X.
Russia and China declared a “no-limits” relationship just before Moscow’s February 2022 invasion, and President Xi Jinping’s government has since provided Putin with diplomatic and economic support. Beijing has stopped short of providing lethal military assistance that would violate the U.S. sanctions regime, and said it supports recent efforts to reach a ceasefire. Chinese components have still been found in Russian weapons, as have American made parts.
“This is yet another country that is militarily supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy. “On Russia’s side, it follows Iran and North Korean troops. but there is a difference. North Koreans fought against us in the Kursk direction. The Chinese are fighting on Ukrainian territory. And I think this is an important point that we need to discuss with our partners — urgently, I believe.”
(Japan Times)