BEIJING: China denounced on Tuesday European Union claims that Beijing had trained Russian troops sent to Ukraine as “pure slander,” after the bloc’s top diplomat became the latest to raise the issue. China has presented itself as a neutral party since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, although Kyiv’s allies have long accused Beijing of secretly helping its close partner Moscow.

Kallas cites verified reports of Chinese training for Russian forces as Brussels weighs sanctions and new trade measures.

The EU confirmed China trained hundreds of Russian soldiers deployed to fight in Ukraine, calling Beijing a 'decisive enabler' of Russia's war effort.