China expressed readiness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission - media
Kyiv • UNN
China has expressed readiness to participate in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, but only under a UN mandate. In Brussels, the plan met with a mixed reaction due to concerns about China's neutrality.
Beijing is ready to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission, Welt am Sonntag reports, citing sources, noting that this news has met with a mixed reaction in Europe, as China will only do so under certain conditions, UNN writes.
China has announced its readiness to participate in peacekeeping forces for Ukraine. This was reported by Welt am Sonntag to EU diplomats, citing sources in the Chinese government. However, they stressed that the government in Beijing would only be willing to do so "if peacekeeping troops are deployed on the basis of a United Nations (UN) mandate."
In Brussels, Beijing's plan, as stated, met with a mixed reaction. On the one hand, it is said that the inclusion of Global South countries, such as China, could facilitate the adoption of the deployment of foreign troops to monitor peace. On the other hand, "there is also a risk that China will primarily want to spy in Ukraine and, in the event of a conflict, take a clearly pro-Russian stance instead of a neutral one," said a high-ranking EU diplomat familiar with the current discussions.
In addition, most EU countries are unwilling to grant a UN mandate to potential peacekeeping forces in advance for various reasons. Italy, however, has been energetically pushing for this for several months, the publication writes.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected calls by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for China's participation. "We need security guarantees only from those countries that are ready to help us," he said. Beijing, as the publication notes, has supported Moscow since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, buying billions of dollars worth of oil and supplying electronic components for the production of high-precision weapons. In addition, the two countries maintain a partnership they describe as "boundless."
According to the West, security guarantees for Ukraine cover a wide range, not just military support in the event of an attack on the country, similar to the commitment to provide assistance under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. This is evident from the G7 declaration of mid-July 2023 and the "Joint Security Commitments between the EU and Ukraine" of late July 2024.
Accordingly, security guarantees also include training of the Ukrainian armed forces, supply of weapons, assistance in the development of the defense industry, intelligence, sanctions, economic cooperation, and Ukraine's gradual accession to the EU, the publication writes.
"More than long-term military guarantees in the event of an attack – where Ukraine forms the first reliable line of defense, European and, if necessary, non-European countries form the second line of defense, and the United States, if necessary, provides air support as the third line of defense – Europeans are currently more interested in ensuring a possible ceasefire or peace agreement," the publication states.
High-ranking EU diplomats said that, unlike in the past, drones could be used primarily to monitor compliance with the ceasefire on the front line. What happens if the ceasefire is violated should be defined in the mandate. It is quite possible that – as in the case of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the implementation of the Minsk agreements on settlement after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 – ceasefire violations will only be recorded and reported. However, a mandate could also be developed that would allow soldiers to intervene in the event of a conflict, the publication notes.
Concerns about the withdrawal of US troops from Europe
Meanwhile, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, plans for the withdrawal of US troops from Europe are expected. Initially, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge A. Colby was expected to present the plans in Brussels in the first half of September. Now, this is not expected until after the completion of the Russian-Belarusian exercise "Zapad-2025" in mid-September, the publication writes.
Accordingly, Colby is likely to present his plans no earlier than the end of September. NATO sources expect Washington to withdraw "40,000 to 70,000 of a total of up to 100,000 troops" from Europe. Some US troops will likely be deployed in the US to secure the border or support public safety in cities. It was further stated that the alliance's political guidelines within NATO defense planning could be adjusted earlier than initially planned for 2027, the publication notes.