Ukrainian leaders accused China of arming Russia in breaching its wartime pledge.
Ukraine imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies after Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelenkiti accused Russia of supplying arms and participating in joint arms production on Russian soil.
The announcement comes a day after Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence agency confirmed that Chinese groups were providing artillery and gunpowder to Russian troops. He said some Chinese people are directly involved in weapons production within Russia.
“In any case, we have facts about this work by China and Russia to strengthen their defense capabilities.”
Zelenskyy said he had previously asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping to promise not to arm Russia. Zelenskyy said Xi had previously committed to not supplying arms to Russia, but Ukraine has since got information indicating that the commitment is not supported.
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The Ukrainian president expects to release more specific documents in the coming days, saying he has accused Beijing of crossing the line from passive neutrality to aggressive military cooperation.
“When products come into the global arms market, that’s one thing,” Zelensky said. “When there’s a direct collaboration, it’s something else. I’ve seen that collaboration.”
Beijing has since denied the allegations. On April 18, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lyn Zian dismissed the claim as “bassed accusations and political manipulation.”
“Russian involvement in China in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything other than end the war, whether direct or indirect,” he said at the time.
Owen Evans and Reuters contributed to this report.
