Democrat warns against Chinese peacekeepers in Ukraine
The top Democrat investigating U.S.-China relations is raising alarm over President Trump’s reported suggestion that Chinese troops could serve as peacekeepers after a truce between Russia and Ukraine.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, called such ideas “absurd” in a letter sent Thursday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as the acting national security adviser.
“Beijing is not an impartial actor in this war. The PRC [People’s Republic of China] has no genuine interest in defending Ukraine against future Russian aggression. The United States’ position on this matter must be unequivocal: PRC ‘peacekeepers’ in Ukraine are not a solution to the conflict,” he wrote in the letter, which was exclusively obtained by The Hill.
Trump has made ending Russia’s war in Ukraine a priority of his second term but has stalled out in trying to entice Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a ceasefire. A high-profile face-to-face meeting in Alaska last month appeared to embolden Moscow to increase the intensity of its attacks on Ukraine, with Russian drones crossing over into Polish territory on Wednesday in a major escalation against NATO.
Russia has relied heavily on China’s support to maintain its war footing. Days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the two highlighted a “no-limits partnership.” Beijing is a major purchaser of discounted Russian oil and a trade partner enabling Russian domestic production of military hardware, in particular attack drones.
On Sept. 3, Xi hosted Putin and other leaders, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, who is supplying troops to Russia, for a grand military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of China’s People’s Liberation Army.
“Last week, Xi Jinping invited Putin to sit by his side as he hosted the world’s leading dictators in Beijing for a massive display of militarism, complete with a parade of nuclear-tipped missiles and goosestepping soldiers,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.
“Earlier that week, Xi and Putin celebrated the ‘unprecedented level’ of their strategic relations while calling for a new world order anchored in their interests and authoritarian values.”
Krishnamoorthi cited reporting from the Financial Times that Trump had proposed Chinese peacekeepers in Ukraine and from Bloomberg that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out China as one of the postwar security guarantors.
“To the extent these reports are accurate, I consider this proposal unacceptable and contrary to the national interest of the United States and urge the Administration to categorically reject it,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.
Trump is seeking to steady ties with Xi as Washington and Beijing hammer out a trade deal. Trump has imposed 20 percent tariffs on China related to combatting the fentanyl drug trade, but further threatened tariffs are delayed until November amid negotiations.
Trump and Xi last spoke in June and invited each other to visit their respective countries. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Rubio have spoken recently with their Chinese counterparts, raising the prospect of a meeting between Trump and Xi happening in the near future.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are expected to travel to China later this month, NBC reported. Krishnamoorthi will not be on that trip.