Zelenskyy Urges China to Stop Supplying Russia with Weapons and Mercenaries

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on China to stop supplying Russia with weapons and mercenaries and to actively pressure Moscow to end the war.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Ukrinform and Interfax-Ukraine.

“We had phone conversations with Xi Jinping. He assured me that he would not sell weapons to the ‘Russians.’ However, we see that China provided machinery for weapons to the Russian Federation. We see that it helps circumvent sanctions. We see that there are Chinese mercenaries who fought against Ukrainian forces,” Zelenskyy said during a meeting in Kyiv with Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel.

The President emphasized that Ukraine supports U.S. policy to restrict the supply of Russian energy resources to other countries, as revenues from these supplies are used to fund the war. 

“We must put pressure only on the aggressor. The aggressor in this war is Russia,” Zelenskyy added. 

He also noted that European countries have signaled their intention to reduce purchases of Russian energy to zero by 2028, which would be a crucial step in increasing pressure on Moscow.

Zelenskyy further expressed hope that the upcoming meeting between the leaders of the United States and China will help reduce China’s purchase of Russian energy resources and convince Beijing to stop supplying weapons and equipment that could prolong the war. 

He stressed that any actions by China that help circumvent sanctions or provide military support to Russia undermine the international community’s efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

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