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Kyiv, Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two Chinese nationals fighting in the Russian army have been taken prisoner in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukrainian forces fighting in the Donetsk region obtained the Chinese nationals’ documents, bank cards and personal data.

“We have information that there are many more Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units than just two. We are now finding out all the facts,” Zelensky said in a post on Telegram. “I have instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to immediately contact Beijing and find out how China is going to react to this.”

“Russia’s involvement of China in this war in Europe, directly or indirectly, is a clear signal that Putin is going to do anything except end the war. He is looking for ways to continue fighting,” Zelensky said. It is unclear if the Chinese nationals that Ukraine says it captured are Chinese soldiers or volunteers. Western officials on Tuesday told CNN that they did not see “evidence of state sponsorship” in their cases.

The Ukrainian president also called on its allies in the United States and Europe to protest. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday that Kyiv has summoned Beijing’s chargé d’affaires in Ukraine “to condemn this fact and demand an explanation.”

“We hope that after this situation, the Americans will talk more with Ukrainians and then with Russians. And we hope that the Chinese side will also respond,” Zelensky said Tuesday afternoon during a news conference.

“This is another country that militarily supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the side of Russia. This is another one after Iran and the North Korean military,” he added.

CNN has reached out to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Russia’s Ministry of Defense for comment. China’s foreign ministry said in a January 2024 social media post that its citizens should stay away from conflict zones, urging them to “avoid involvement in conflicts in any form — particularly refraining from participating in military actions of any party.”

China has helped Russia ramp up its defense industrial base as it continues its war against Ukraine, senior Biden administration officials told CNN last year. The support China has provided includes significant quantities of machine tools, drone and turbojet engines and technology for cruise missiles, microelectronics, and nitrocellulose, which Russia uses to make propellant for weapons, the officials said in April 2024.

Meanwhile, Russia has also considerably strengthened its military relationship with North Korea over the last year, with the two signing a mutual defense agreement and Pyongyang sending its troops to fight for Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine. In January, Ukrainian forces operating in the Kursk region of Russia captured two North Korean soldiers.

Brazil’s President Lula da Silva calls for Latin American unity at CELAC Summit, prioritizing democracy, climate action, and economic integration amid global instability.

During his address at the IX Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued an urgent call for unity among Latin American and Caribbean nations. Against a backdrop of global economic destabilization and the resurgence of old hegemonies, Lula warned of the threats facing the region and the need for collective action.

The Brazilian leader stressed that Latin America is navigating one of the most critical periods in its history. In his speech, he emphasized that attempts to restore outdated spheres of influence threaten national autonomy and urged countries to set aside differences to tackle shared challenges. “If we remain divided, we risk becoming mere zones of influence in a new global division among superpowers,” he asserted.

Lula outlined a three-pillar action plan focused on defending democracy, combating climate change, and advancing economic integration. First, he underscored the importance of safeguarding democratic systems in the region, cautioning against eroding political trust and the rise of authoritarian agendas. “Our nations’ security depends on eradicating hunger and ensuring opportunities for all,” he declared.

Second, he addressed the urgent need for collective climate action, noting that Latin America and the Caribbean are disproportionately vulnerable to its impacts. “We must act together to mitigate this threat,” he urged.

Finally, Lula highlighted the necessity of strengthening economic and trade integration among member states, arguing that a unified regional economy is vital to counter unilateral measures like the tariffs imposed by the U.S. under Donald Trump. “Trade wars have no winners,” he concluded.

Lula’s appeal comes at a pivotal moment for the region, where geopolitical and economic tensions demand coordinated, solidarity-driven responses. The summit marks a crucial platform to redefine Latin America and the Caribbean’s role in the emerging global order.