Firstpost ·
‘It’s a pity’: Zelenskyy says China can push Putin to end Ukraine war but ‘never saw them do that’
Zelenskyy said China has significant influence over Russia but has not used it to push Putin towards negotiations, accusing Beijing of leaning closer to Moscow politically
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said he had never seen China use its influence over Russia to push President Vladimir Putin towards negotiations to end the Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy said China’s influence over Russia has grown amid Western sanctions, restrictions on energy and banking systems and efforts to curb Moscow’s “shadow fleet”.
He said Beijing could use that leverage to persuade Putin to stop the war but had not done so.
“I don’t see China pushing Russia to stop the war. I never saw that,” Zelenskyy said, sharing the transcript of an interview he gave to Japan’s NHK in a post on X.
“Of course, China can find a way to push Putin toward negotiations. I’m sure, but they didn’t do it. And if you can and don’t, is it support or not?” he said.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had identified a North Korean missile in the country, while he had not seen a Chinese missile. However, he alleged that Chinese machinery, technology and expertise were reaching Russia.
“I saw a real missile made by North Korea in Ukraine. I did not see a Chinese missile. But I know that their technologies get to Russia,” he said, adding that machinery used by Russia “comes from China, likely along with smart people and technologies”.
The Ukrainian president said his criticism of China was not primarily about weapons but about its political position in the conflict.
“It’s a pity that China is not on our side in this war, politically. It’s not even about weapons. It’s about political will,” Zelenskyy said.
He argued that the war could be brought to an immediate end by “strong leaders”, including China, and criticised Beijing for not taking a position in the middle between Moscow and Kyiv.
“The problem is that they are not in the middle. Because they are a little bit more with Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that even a slight tilt towards Russia mattered because of China’s size and influence.
“For such a big country, a little bit is a lot,” he said.
Ukraine has repeatedly raised concerns about Chinese-origin technology found in Russian weapons. In July, Beijing had not visibly responded after Ukraine provided serial-number evidence linking Chinese-made components to Russian missiles and drones.
According to a Kyiv Post article published in August, Chinese components, including small turbojet engines, had helped Russia develop faster Shahed-type attack drones that are more difficult for Ukraine to intercept.
China, however, maintains that it strictly controls exports of dual-use goods and has opposed sanctions imposed on Chinese companies accused of helping Russia’s military industry.