China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected accusations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Beijing is supplying weapons to Russia, calling the claims “groundless.”
The denial came a day after Zelensky said Ukraine’s intelligence services had obtained information about Chinese supplies of gunpowder and artillery ammunition to Moscow.
“Today, we have proven information from the Security Service of Ukraine from intelligence about gunpowder, artillery,” Zelensky said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday. He added that China is involved in weapons production on Russian territory.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian dismissed these allegations during a regular news briefing, saying China has never made lethal weapons available to any party in the war.
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“Beijing opposes groundless accusations and political manipulation,” Lin said, reiterating China’s commitment to promoting a ceasefire and encouraging peace talks.
Zelensky said he had previously received personal assurances from Chinese President Xi Jinping that weapons would not be sold or sent to Russia. “He gave me his word,” the Ukrainian president said. “But we see other information.”
While officially claiming neutrality, Beijing has deepened economic ties with Moscow since the start of the conflict, supporting Russia against Western sanctions and emerging as a major supplier of dual-use goods that support the Russian defense sector, according to multiple reports.
Ukraine’s accusations come weeks after Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals reportedly fighting for Russia in Donetsk Oblast. One captured soldier told Ukrainian troops he had paid 300,000 rubles to a middleman in China to join the Russian army in exchange for citizenship.
According to Zelensky, the number of Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces has grown from an initial estimate of 155 to what he described as “several hundred.”
Beijing maintains it plays no role in the conflict and has stated repeatedly that it encourages Chinese nationals to steer clear of the war zone.
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