The European Union’s top diplomat has levelled one of the bloc’s most direct accusations against Beijing since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, asserting that the Chinese military has been training Russian soldiers for combat. Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, High Representative Kaja Kallas said the bloc had “verified reports” of such training and described China as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war effort. The EU simultaneously imposed fresh sanctions on Chinese companies accused of supplying components used in Russian weaponry. Kallas offered no further details on the nature or location of the alleged instruction, but an EU source told Agence France-Presse that the training was taking place at multiple sites inside China and involved hundreds of personnel.

Beijing responded with an unequivocal denial. Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press briefing that the claims were “pure slander and vilification” with no factual basis. Russian state media and business outlets amplified the Chinese rebuttal, while noting that earlier Western press reports had alleged China secretly trained around 200 Russian military instructors late last year. The Kremlin has not officially commented on the EU’s latest assertion, but Moscow’s media framed the episode as part of a broader Western campaign to pressure China over its economic ties with Russia.

Viewed from New York, the United Nations added a cautionary note. A spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres, Stéphane Dujarric, said the war in Ukraine “needs fewer soldiers, not more” and warned against any further foreign military involvement. The UN’s intervention, though measured, underscored growing international unease about the potential widening of the conflict’s participant base, even as Beijing insists it is not a party to the war and has repeatedly called for a political settlement.

The EU’s move reflects a sharpening of Brussels’ stance towards China, linking economic and security concerns in a manner that goes well beyond previous sanctions on Chinese firms. Analysts in European capitals note that Kallas’s language — labelling China a “decisive enabler” — signals a readiness to frame Beijing’s role in more confrontational terms. The bloc says it is “carefully assessing the possible consequences” of the alleged training, leaving open the prospect of further measures. As the war grinds on, the episode highlights the delicate balancing act facing major powers: the UN’s call for de-escalation contrasts with mounting Western pressure on China, while Beijing’s furious denials suggest it is acutely sensitive to any suggestion of direct military involvement that could jeopardise its diplomatic positioning.