Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that China was supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia, the first time he had openly accused Beijing of providing direct military assistance to Moscow.
The Ukrainian leader told a news conference that his government also had intelligence that China was producing weapons on Russian soil and that he would be able to provide more details next week.
China, the world’s second-largest economy, has maintained close economic ties with Russia during Moscow’s three-year war in Ukraine. But it has sought to project an image of neutrality and denies any involvement in the conflict.
For Kiev, the direct supply of Chinese weapons to Russia marks a major departure from that stance.
“We have finally received information that China is supplying weapons to the Russian Federation,” Zelensky said in Kiev, referring specifically to “artillery,” without specifying whether he meant shells, artillery systems or both.
“We believe that Chinese representatives are engaged in the production of some weapons on the territory of Russia,” Zelensky said, without elaborating.
There was no immediate public comment from China, and Reuters was unable to immediately reach Chinese officials as Zelensky’s remarks were made in the evening in Beijing.
In comments last week on the war, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: “I would like to reiterate that China is not the initiator of the Ukrainian crisis, and China is not a participating party. We are a firm supporter and active promoter of a peaceful resolution of the crisis.”
Zelensky’s accusation comes as President Donald Trump has been pushing for peace, reversing previous US policy by directly engaging with Russia and at one point cutting off military aid to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the war and asked him directly about Beijing’s ability to supply Russia with weapons.
Russia has benefited from military aid from Iran and North Korea. Tehran has provided long-range drones used to launch attacks from far away, while Pyongyang has provided large artillery shells, missiles and troops, Ukrainian officials say.
The fighting in Ukraine has long degenerated into a pitched battle, in which both sides try to outmaneuver and outgun each other by moving large numbers of troops and weapons, making foreign military supplies essential.
Relations between China and Ukraine have already been strained after Zelensky this month announced the capture of two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia.
He said last week that Ukraine had information about 155 Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian army against Kiev forces.
Zelensky said at the time that Russia was recruiting Chinese nationals through social media and that Beijing officials were aware of it. He said Ukraine was trying to assess whether the recruits were receiving instructions from Beijing.
A week ago, China reaffirmed its support for peace efforts in Ukraine, saying relevant parties should refrain from “irresponsible statements,” in an apparent rebuke to Zelensky’s claim that Chinese citizens were fighting there for Russia.
Two U.S. officials familiar with American intelligence and a former Western intelligence official told Reuters last week that they believed the Chinese citizens were mercenaries who appeared to have no direct connection to the Chinese government.
In February 2022, China and Russia announced a “no-limits” strategic partnership, days before Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine.
Reporting by Anastasia Malenko, Yulia Dysa; Additional reporting by Max Hunter; Writing by Tom Bamforth; Editing by Jane Merriman, Mark Heinrich, Frances Kerry and Rod Nickel
