In the first six months of 2026, imports of Chinese parts had already reached around 76 percent of the total recorded for the previous year.<\/p>\n
A report <\/a>by the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry and the Snake Island Institute, a Kyiv-based think tank, said that 38 percent of the value of drone components imported by Ukraine in the first half of 2025 came from China.<\/p>\n \u201cThe world is witnessing China\u2019s drone war in Ukraine, where both sides are using many of the same technologies against each other,\u201d Holod said. \u201cWhile Ukraine is building greater self-sufficiency and exploring alternative supply channels, Kyiv must remain cautious, wise, and pragmatic in its relations with Beijing.\u201d<\/p>\n Cooling Ties<\/p>\n Such pragmatic relations between Beijing and Kyiv have become increasingly uncomfortable as the war has progressed.<\/p>\n Experts are unconvinced that a possible visit to Beijing by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha will do much to shift the dial.<\/p>\n China has avoided openly condemning Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, while maintaining Moscow as a close ally.<\/p>\n Michal Bogusz, senior fellow at the Warsaw-based Center for Eastern Studies, said that it was unlikely Beijing would change its position on the war to take a stronger stance on a cease-fire.<\/p>\n He said that \u201cthe continuation of the conflict in a controlled manner that is not expanding is in Beijing\u2019s interest,\u201d he said referring to a more isolated Russia\u2019s growing dependence on China as a customer for its oil exports, as well as the potential for a prolonged war to strain unity among Western allies.<\/p>\n Diplomatic exchanges between Kyiv and Beijing have been few and far between.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have spoken directly only once since 2022. A planned visit by Sybiha to China following an invitation in February 2026 by Beijing\u2019s top diplomat, Wang Yi, did not materialize, while talk of a new invitation has yet to result in setting a date for a visit.<\/p>\n Bogusz said that relations have cooled as Kyiv has become more \u201cassertive\u201d in its handling of China\u2019s dealings with Russia. On the other hand, he added that \u201cit\u2019s something [Beijing] anticipated because they knew that they were not going to give Kyiv what Kyiv wanted\u201d in terms of openly pressuring Moscow to end the war.<\/p>\n Ukraine has sanctioned several Chinese companies since the start of the full-scale invasion for their alleged support of Russia’s military.<\/p>\n ‘Hostile Interdependence’<\/p>\n Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukraine\u2019s commissioner for sanctions policy, said<\/a> on July 28 that the EU\u2019s latest round of sanctions against Chinese firms for assisting Moscow’s defense industry is “a necessary and justified step.\u201d<\/p>\n Beijing denies<\/a> supplying lethal weapons to either side of the conflict.<\/p>\n China\u2019s ambassador to Ukraine, Ma Shengkun, wrote in a letter<\/a> published by Ukrainian media on June 30 that bilateral relations required a \u201cclear understanding of [Beijing\u2019s] objective and impartial stance on promoting peace talks.\u201d Ma also stated China\u2019s respect for the \u201cterritorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha (left) met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February.
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