Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Ukrainian leader says Kremlin forces include 155 mercenaries from China as Moscow ‘systematically’ recruits citizens
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
President Trump has pledged that US officials will look into evidence that Chinese mercenaries are fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine.
Asked whether he could verify the claims by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and if so, what he would do about it, Mr Trump told his cabinet: “We’ll look into it. But I think beyond that, we’re really looking to get that war stopped.”
The Ukrainian president has accused Russia of systematically recruiting Chinese citizens to fight against his country, claiming 155 are fighting in Ukraine.
He said on Telegram: “It is obvious that these are not isolated cases, but systemic Russian work… to recruit [Chinese] citizens of this state for war.”
Mr Zelensky shared a new video revealing part of the interrogation of two captured Chinese soldiers.
Beijing has dubbed the claims “baseless” and Moscow denies dragging China into the conflict.
Ukraine’s leader had questioned the lack of interest from the US over the revelation.
“I do not understand why America is not reacting forcefully towards Russia. There is nothing in terms of diplomacy or statements,” he said.
Elsewhere, UK defence secretary John Healey is hosting defence ministers from around 30 countries at Nato headquarters in Brussels. They are seeking to flesh out an agreement on sending troops to police any peace deal.
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink is stepping down from her role, a State Department spokesperson has said, in a move that injects new uncertainty into the relationship between Washington and Kyiv.
Ms Brink was nominated for the post by former President Joe Biden and has served as ambassador in Kyiv since May 2022. She is leaving on her own accord, sources said.
It is unclear who will take over as ambassador. The US official and another person familiar with the matter said Chris Smith, the deputy assistant secretary for Eastern Europe and policy and regional affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, is being considered.
Prince Harry has met war victims in an unannounced visit to Ukraine as part of his work with wounded veterans, a spokesperson said.
Harry visited the Superhumans Centre, an orthopaedic clinic in Lviv that treats and rehabilitates wounded military personnel and civilians, to see top-notch services provided in a country in the midst of war.
The centre provides prosthetics, reconstructive surgery and psychological help free of charge.
The Duke of Sussex, who served 10 years in the British Army, has made helping injured soldiers one of his most prominent causes.
US president Donald Trump has said he “appreciates” Moscow’s release of a Russian-American woman convicted of treason in a prisoner swap.
Ksenia Karelina is “on a plane back home to the United States,” US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in a post on social media.
Mr Trump said: “They released the young ballerina and she is now out, and that was good. So we appreciate that.”
Ms Karelina was arrested in Yekaterinburg last February and convicted of treason on charges stemming from a donation of about 52 dollars (£40) to a charity helping Ukraine.
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said he is “not convinced yet” that the Chinese personnel identified as fighting on behalf of Russia against Ukraine are more than mercenaries or volunteers.
“There’s an axiom in the military, the first report is always wrong,” Kellogg said during an appearance yesterday at Georgetown University.
“And this is one of those let’s sit back and see how this plays out, because it could be volunteers,” he said.
Mr Kellogg noted that Ukraine also has volunteers from other countries, including the United States, fighting on its behalf.
He added that the early reports of Chinese personnel are not on par with North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to the frontlines.
The Chinese prisoner has a fearful expression as his Ukrainian captors train a video camera on him. He speaks in Mandarin, the common language of his homeland. His green uniform is like any regular soldier’s. But is it proof that China is fighting alongside the Russian army?
This is a hybrid war and while China has not disputed the facts, the boundaries of truth are cloaked in deniability. The incident – astutely publicised by Ukraine just as America is in a trade showdown with China – has illuminated the shadows of a very modern conflict.
Michael Sheridan writes:
President Trump says his government will look into claims by his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Chinese mercenaries are fighting alongside Russian forces against his country.
Mr Trump told members of his cabinet: “The Ukrainians say they have evidence that Chinese soldiers being found twice before the Russians in Ukraine – can you verify this?”
“And if so, what does the US plan on doing to identify… we’ll look into it. But I think beyond that, we’re really looking to get that war stopped.”
Russia has released a dual citizen who was jailed for donating to a charity providing aid to Ukraine in exchange for a German-Russian citizen accused of exporting US electronics for use in Moscow’s military.
Ksenia Karelina, who was found guilty of treason by a Russian court last year for donating money to a US charity providing humanitarian support, is on her way to the US.
Mr Karelina’s lawyer said she was released in a swap with Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen arrested in 2023 in Cyprus for exporting sensitive microelectronics.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.
Central Intelligence Agency director John Ratcliffe said: “Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia. I’m proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the Government of UAE for enabling the exchange.”
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Ukraine war live: Trump vows to look into claims of Putin recruiting Chinese fighters – The Independent
