Media: China signals willingness to send troops to Ukraine under UN mandate

China has indicated that it is prepared to send troops to Ukraine, but only if their deployment is conducted under a United Nations mandate.

EU diplomats, citing sources within the Chinese government, told Welt that Beijing would only consider sending forces to Ukraine if the operation is officially sanctioned by the UN.

In Brussels, the Chinese proposal has elicited mixed reactions among European policymakers. On one hand, EU officials believe that China’s participation could encourage other nations from the Global South to contribute troops to monitor peace efforts in Ukraine. On the other hand, concerns persist that China might use such a mission to gather intelligence in Ukraine or, in the event of renewed conflict, "adopt a clearly pro-Russian stance rather than remain neutral".

Additionally, most EU member states are hesitant to preemptively grant a UN mandate to any foreign contingent for a peacekeeping mission, citing political and strategic considerations. Italy has been particularly vocal on this issue over recent months.

Kyiv has already voiced opposition to Beijing’s involvement in post-conflict security arrangements. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised that China, as a signatory of the Budapest Memorandum, did not support Ukraine at the onset of the war and instead aided Russia by facilitating access to drone technology.

Earlier, in March, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng stated that Beijing had no plans to participate in a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine as part of a “coalition of the willing.”

Prior to that, Welt am Sonntag reported that Chinese officials had engaged in consultations with European counterparts to gauge reactions to China’s potential involvement in such an initiative.

By Tamilla Hasanova