China denies seeking to join Ukraine peacekeeping mission

The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, stated this during a briefing, as reported by Ukrinform.

"I would like to emphasize that the relevant information is completely false," he said, commenting on reports about China allegedly considering participation in peacekeeping forces.

At the same time, Jiakun emphasized that his country will continue to work with the international community to promote peace negotiations and create conditions for a ceasefire and the end of the war in Ukraine.

Earlier, Welt, citing diplomatic sources in Brussels, reported that China had approached the European Union with a request regarding possible participation in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine and is awaiting the position of European partners on this initiative.

China’s involvement in the peacekeeping mission could influence Russia’s stance, potentially forcing it to reconsider its attitude toward the deployment of international forces on Ukrainian territory. At the same time, such a move is considered “delicate” and requires a careful approach.

Peacekeeping forces in Ukraine: what’s known

At the end of January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that at least 200,000 peacekeepers would be needed to ensure Ukraine’s security after the cessation of hostilities. Later, he clarified that U.S. troops should be included in the peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

On February 11, The New York Times reportedthat Europe does not have 200,000 peacekeepers available to send to Ukraine — this number is nearly three times the size of the entire British army. On the same day, Zelenskyy stated that the mission could operate if 100,000–150,000 European troops were deployed.

According to The Associated Press, a group of European countries is secretly developing a plan to send troops to Ukraine. Previously, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that international partners were already working on the idea of a peacekeeping mission.

U.S. President Donald Trump supported the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine but noted that the U.S. would not participate.

According to the spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lemoine, European countries are currently discussing only the possibility of sending their troops to Ukraine, not their numbers.

At the same time, the Finnish government has rejected the possibility of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. Prime Minister Orpo referred to the fact that Finland cannot do so because it shares a border with Russia.

Meanwhile, the German defense company Rheinmetall has announced its readiness to arm peacekeepers in Ukraine.

On March 16, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, stated that the Kremlin would perceive the deployment of Western peacekeepers in Ukraine as a declaration of war by NATO.