China Denies Involvement in Ukraine War After Zelensky's Mercenary Allegations

April 11, 2025 | 03:06 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Chinese Foreign Ministry has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not to hastily make and spread statements regarding the involvement of Chinese citizens as mercenaries in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

"We would advise the relevant parties to recognise China’s role correctly and clear-headedly," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian in a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, although not directly mentioning Zelensky's name.

"China is not a creator of or party to the Ukraine crisis. We are staunch supporters and active promoters of a peaceful resolution," said Lin Jian as quoted by Al Arabiya.

The Chinese government, Lin Jian revealed, has always urged its citizens to stay away from armed conflict areas.

Earlier, Zelensky on X social media reposted about Chinese citizens being captured in Ukraine for fighting as mercenaries for Russia.

Zelensky claimed to have accurate data about more than 155 Chinese citizens involved in the war against Ukraine by Russia.

On Tuesday, he announced that his troops had captured two Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. The individuals were found carrying identity documents, bank cards, and other personal information.

In a statement on his social media account, Zelensky claimed that Ukrainian forces had engaged six Chinese fighters, capturing two of them, and indicated that additional Chinese citizens were present among Russian troops.

The post included a video showing one of the captured Chinese individuals in handcuffs speaking Mandarin, though the timing of the recording was not specified.

In addition to Chinese troops, Ukraine had previously stated that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to help Russia. About 1,000 North Korean citizens died in combat against Ukraine in Kursk, Ukrainian officials said.

Meanwhile, China has consistently declined to commit peacekeeping forces to the Ukrainian conflict zone, even in the event that peace is established.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, mostly in the east.

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