China willing to supply Ukraine peacekeepers if there is a UN mandate
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China has indicated its readiness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission, but only if such a deployment is authorised by the United Nations, Welt am Sonntag reported on August 24, citing European Union diplomats.
Beijing has been seeking to position itself as a potential mediator in the conflict, while carefully limiting any military involvement to a framework sanctioned by international law. According to the diplomats, Chinese officials made clear that participation would be contingent on a UN mandate, rather than on bilateral or regional arrangements.
“China has signalled readiness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission, but only under a UN mandate,” the German newspaper quoted EU diplomats as saying.
The move, if pursued, would represent Beijing’s most direct role in the conflict since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. China has so far balanced its stance between maintaining close ties with Moscow and promoting itself as a neutral actor advocating for negotiations.
Beijing has consistently called for an end to the war. While it has backed Russia and continues to provide an economic backstop, providing Russia with a myriad of goods and dual use technology, it has shied away from throwing its full weight behind Russia. In all the UN voting to condemn Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, China has consistently abstained rather than join the handful of nations that have voted in support of Russia’s actions. Likewise, Beijing presented a 12-point peace plan on the anniversary of the start of the war, which is very similar to the terms that US President Donald Trump is proposing now.
Western governments remain cautious over Beijing’s intentions, noting that China has deepened trade and energy cooperation with Russia while opposing sanctions imposed by the EU and the United States. At the same time recently Beijing’s support seems to have gone up a notch after a new Chinese-made decoy drone was found on the battlefield and most of the tech in Russia’s missiles is now of Chinese origin. A Chinese troop presence in Ukraine under UN auspices would require approval from the Security Council, where Beijing holds veto power alongside Moscow.
“China’s position is framed entirely within a UN context,” one EU diplomat told Welt am Sonntag, underscoring that no independent Chinese mission is under consideration.
The idea of peacekeepers, now downgraded to a “reassurance force”, was originally floated by French President Emmanuel Macron, but the idea was abandoned in March as unworkable. However, as talks on providing Ukraine with real security guarantees started following the Alaska summit on August 15 and then the White House summit on August 18 ahead of a mooted meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin the idea has been revived.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has adamantly and repeatedly said placing Nato-backed troops in Ukraine is unacceptable to the Kremlin and would have “unpredictable” consequences. However, the Kremlin may be open to non-Nato peacekeepers in Ukraine, especially if it was backed by a UN resolution and was made up of forces provided by its fellow BRICS partners.
Ramaphosa, Macron step up talks on Ukraine as South Africa joins push for peace
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is stepping up his diplomacy, engaging President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders in a renewed drive for peace efforts in Ukraine
Issued on: 24/08/2025 - RFI
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed himself more firmly on the diplomatic stage, holding a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday that touched on the war in Ukraine, the Middle East and other pressing global crises.
Posting on X, Macron said their discussion covered “the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine in the context of Monday’s meeting in Washington, as well as the situation in the Great Lakes region”.
The two leaders agreed to meet again in September on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The exchange with Macron underlines Ramaphosa’s growing role as a mediator as he seeks to rally support from both the Global South and Europe.
Pretoria later confirmed that Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the G20, also spoke with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and will reach out to other European leaders in the weeks ahead.
At the heart of his message is a call for a direct meeting between Kyiv and Moscow.
Earlier on Saturday, Ramaphosa held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which he pressed the urgency of “bilateral and trilateral meetings between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the United States as key to signal a firm commitment to ending the war”.
Zelensky reiterated his openness to “any format of meeting with the head of Russia”.
Yet he voiced frustration that Moscow was “once again trying to drag everything out even further”, urging the Global South to apply pressure to steer the Kremlin towards peace.
On Sunday – as Ukrainians celebrated Independence Day – Zelensky struck a defiant note, declaring that his country would “never surrender”.
The intervention comes as momentum for a Russia–Ukraine summit appears to be stalling. US President Donald Trump, who earlier in the week suggested that Vladimir Putin and Zelensky had agreed to meet face-to-face, has since compared the pair to “oil and vinegar”.
On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov bluntly stated that “no meeting” was on the cards.
Balancing act
Despite his warm personal ties with Putin – whom he called a “dear ally” and “valued friend” at last year’s BRICS summit – Ramaphosa has gradually shifted South Africa’s stance.
For the first time since the war began, Pretoria this year voted in favour of a United Nations resolution describing Russia’s actions as a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
That balancing act – keeping dialogue open with Moscow while engaging with Western partners such as France – has made Ramaphosa an increasingly interesting figure in international diplomacy.
His latest round of calls suggests he intends to use his G20 presidency to keep the pressure on for talks, even as trust between Kyiv and Moscow remains scarce.
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