Ukraine Summons Chinese Ambassador Over Alleged Capture of Two Citizens

Ukraine summoned the Chinese Ambassador in Kiev Tuesday over allegations that two Chinese citizens were captured fighting for the Russian Army in Donbass. 

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha would state on X (Formerly Twitter) "Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia's invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China's declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing's credibility as a responsible permanent member of the U.N. Security Council

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video online showing the alleged captured Chinese soldier. While he did not suggest they were sent by the Chinese Government he claimed this showed that China was another country that “militarily supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.

There may be another motive behind the claim, which is to try and exploit the current difficulties between D.C. and Beijing over tariffs to try and convince the U.S. President Trump to continue U.S. support for Ukraine.

Speaking Tuesday, Zelensky expressed hopes that this development would get the U.S. to “change their position” as the U.S. seeks to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Also, earlier on Tuesday, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation accused China of building a port in Georgia, calling it a “threat to NATO”.

The Trump Administration did appear to sympathize with Kiev's claims on Tuesday when State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated "China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine. China provides nearly 80% of the dual-use items that Russia needs to sustain the war."

This wouldn’t be the first time Ukraine has used claims of foreign troops fighting for Russia to get help from the U.S. In November, the unsubstantiated claims of North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in Kursk was used as justification for the U.S. to allow long range missile strikes into Russia using Western weapons.