Kallas confirms verified intelligence of Chinese military instructing Russian forces as Brussels considers sanctions and fresh trade restrictions
The European Union's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, stated on Monday that the bloc has confirmed intelligence indicating that China's armed forces have been "training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine", a situation that may heighten friction between the two parties.
Speaking after leading a session of the EU's 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Kallas noted that the EU was "carefully assessing the implications" of this finding, and added that during the discussions, the ministers had agreed to impose sanctions on a number of Chinese entities.
Although the former Estonian prime minister did not elaborate on her statement or the specifics of Beijing's alleged assistance, Reuters reported last month that China had secretly provided instruction to roughly 200 Russian military personnel in 2025, some of whom had since returned to combat in Ukraine.
The instruction focused mainly on drone operations and was detailed in a "dual-language Russian-Chinese agreement signed by senior Russian and Chinese officers in Beijing on July 2, 2025", according to Reuters. The news agency indicated that, under the agreement, hundreds of Chinese soldiers would also receive training in Russia.
In May, the Chinese foreign ministry denied the Reuters report, asserting that "on the issue of the Ukrainian crisis, China has consistently adhered to an objective and impartial position and made efforts to promote peace negotiations".
Beijing maintains that it remains neutral in the Ukraine war, which began with a full-scale Russian invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.