China signals readiness to send peacekeepers to Ukraine – Welt
China is prepared, under certain conditions, to take part in a mission deploying a peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine – a move that has provoked mixed reactions in European circles.
Source: Welt am Sonntag, as cited by European Pravda
Details: EU diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Welt am Sonntag that senior Chinese officials had confirmed Beijing’s willingness to participate in a peacekeeping contingent for Ukraine.
However, the sources stressed that China would only be prepared to do so "if peacekeeping forces are deployed on the basis of a United Nations mandate."
This position has sparked differing reactions in Brussels. On the one hand, some argue that support from countries of the Global South could help advance the idea of a peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine.
On the other hand, "there is also the danger that China will primarily seek to spy in Ukraine and adopt an openly pro-Russian stance rather than a neutral one in the event of conflict," a senior EU diplomat told Welt am Sonntag.
Another point of contention is that most EU countries, for various reasons, are reluctant to grant potential peacekeepers a mandate at the UN level.
Background:
- Media reports that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, at his meeting with US President Donald Trump on 15 August, did not object to security guarantees for Ukraine and mentioned China as one of the states that could provide such guarantees.
- Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he does not see China among Ukraine’s future security guarantors.
- European officials are discussing a plan to send UK and French troops to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement, with around 10 countries ready to contribute their forces.
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