The Trump administration has denied any support for Chinese peacekeepers in a hypothetical demilitarized zone as proposed in peace talks with Ukraine and Russia as the three nations continue to seek a path towards resolving the ongoing war.
The Financial Times first reported that President Donald Trump has entertained Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s suggestion to invite China to supply peacekeepers for this neutral zone proposal, but a senior administration official told Newsweek that there has been “no discussion” of this idea.
“President Trump and his national security team continue to engage with Russian and Ukrainian officials towards a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war,” a senior administration official told Newsweek. “As many world leaders have stated, this war would have never happened if President Trump was in office. There was no discussion of Chinese peacekeepers. It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly.”
Why It Matters
Trump and several officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and State Secretary Marco Rubio, have held talks over the past six months with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to try and find a path to peace and convince Russia to end its invasion of its western neighbor.
The U.S. president has repeatedly touted his peace-making bona fides, building on the Abraham Accords that he established in his first term. He confidently claimed he would wrangle a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia shortly after returning to office, but has found over the past six months a far more nuanced and complicated landscape to navigate.
However, Trump managed to bring Putin to the negotiation table this month, meeting face-to-face in Alaska to discuss security concerns and demands to bring Russia closer to a deal, followed by talks with Ukraine, and hopes for a face-to-face meeting between the warring nations and a potential trilateral meeting that would include the U.S.
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What To Know
Reports over the past few days have started to surface details of what Ukraine and Russia may want to end the war – with emphasis on Russia’s demands and suggestions, as the aggressor.
European officials floated the idea of a neutral zone that would lie along the border between Russia and Ukraine, and Russia has responded positively to the proposal, according to Politico and the Financial Times.
Details about the full dimensions of the zone remain nebulous, and the U.S. is not involved in those discussions, according to Politico.
However, that zone would require a peacekeeping force, ostensibly from a neutral organization or country. The Financial Times reported that Russia had suggested China as one possible option, but that it was immediately rejected and Ukraine has no interest in allowing one of Russia’s allies to handle such a task.
China has allegedly continued to support Russia, first by buying Russian energy to provide much needed cashflow as Ukraine’s allies applied devastating sanctions to Russia’s economy, and Ukraine earlier this year accused China of supplying Russia with weapons and helping improve weapons production.
Russia has suggested modifications to the proposal that Ukraine has a security guarantee similar to a NATO Article Five collective defense clause, which would allow some Ukrainian allies to freely enter combat against a nation that attacks Ukraine in the future.
Russia had previously suggested such an idea, but wanted the nations to be France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, and China, which also comprise the United Nations Security Council, and Russia suggested that the members have a veto power.
Ukraine rejected the proposal then, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated he would reject similar suggestions, along with any involvement by China.
“First, China did not help us stop this war from the beginning. Second, China helped Russia by opening the drone market,” Zelenskyy said this earlier this month. “They did nothing when Crimea was occupied. That is why we do not need guarantors who do not help Ukraine and did not help Ukraine at a time when we really needed it after.”
Instead, Ukraine has shown some interest in allowing Turkish forces to be involved in a peacekeeping mission, and Turkey has also expressed interest in helping find a resolution to the conflict.
What People Are Saying
Chinese Mission to the United Nations earlier this month wrote on X: “Since 1990, 24 Chinese peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice for global peace. Today, China is the largest troop contributor among the P5 and the 2nd largest funder of #UNpeacekeeping missions.”
President Donald Trump earlier this month wrote on Truth Social: “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY Ukraine. Some things never change!!!”
However, a few days later, he wrote in a separate post: “It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE. Interesting times ahead!!! President DJT”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker earlier this week: “We have no interest in territories. We have the biggest territory on Earth. What we are concerned about (unlike those who raise the issue of invasion, taking more & more land) is the people who live on those lands.”
