US says it's "disturbing" to find Chinese nationals caught fighting for Russia

Washington DC - The US said Tuesday it was alarmed that two nationals were caught allegedly fighting , saying it showed for .

This handout video grab published on the official Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday shows, according to the Ukrainian president, one of two Chinese soldiers he said were captured by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region. © Handout / Telegram / @Volodymyr Zelensky / AFP

"It's disturbing with the Chinese soldiers having been captured," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.

"China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine. China provides nearly 80% of the dual-use items Russia needs to sustain the war," she said.

" between these two nuclear powers will only further contribute to global instability and make the United States and other countries less safe, less secure, and less prosperous," she said.

The US, since the administration of , has taken China to task , which can be used for civilian or military purposes.

Our military has captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting as part of the Russian army. This happened on Ukrainian territory—in the Donetsk region. Identification documents, bank cards, and personal data were found in their possession.

We have information suggesting that… pic.twitter.com/ekBr6hCkQL

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 8, 2025

Zelensky: We can't fight several countries at once, each trying to take something from our land.

We hope that after this situation, the Americans will talk more with Ukrainians first - and only then with the Russians.

And we also hope the Chinese side will respond. 3/ pic.twitter.com/pMzmL1jwWq

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) April 8, 2025

China, while , has publicly of directly backing the war in Ukraine.

President has called for prioritizing efforts to counter China and has sought to negotiate an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.