Zelenskyy earlier claimed that the first capture of Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian troops was proof of another country, China, supporting Moscow militarily in its war against Ukraine, after Iran and North Korea.
“But there’s a difference. North Koreans were fighting against us in the Kursk region, while the Chinese were fighting against us in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday. “Ukraine is a strong country, but we can’t fight against multiple countries alone.”
Zelenskyy’s assertion that many more Chinese citizens are fighting for Russia in Ukraine prompted criticism from Beijing.
“Such claim has no basis in facts,” Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said at a briefing Wednesday.
“China’s position on the issue of the Ukraine crisis is very clear and is widely recognized by the international community,” he said. “The Ukrainian side needs to view China’s effort and constructive role for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.”
“Of course it does not mean the Chinese army is involved,” EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said. “What is clear is that China is a key enabler of Russia’s war. Without Chinese support Russia would not be able to wage war in the amount that they are waging this war. We see that 80 percent of the dual-use goods are entering Russia via China,” Kallas said at a press conference on Wednesday.