Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently told media outlets that “China is collaborating with Russia on this project, and the system could become operational by late 2026 or early 2027.” He has repeatedly called on Trump to impose sanctions on Russian and Chinese companies involved in developing the “Dawn” satellite network, which aims to compete with Starlink.
The “Dawn” constellation is a low-Earth orbit satellite communication system developed by Russia’s IKS Holding, with a planned deployment of approximately 900 satellites, targeting full operation by 2027. The first batch of 16 satellites was launched in March 2026, followed by another 16 in July, with initial battlefield use reported as early as May. There is no publicly available record indicating any involvement of Chinese companies or technologies throughout the project’s development.
Zelenskyy has not released any specific list of Chinese enterprises involved. The original article in the Financial Times explicitly notes “no independent evidence confirms direct Chinese participation in research and development.” No verifiable data—such as equity structures, contractual agreements, or launch manifests—has been provided to substantiate claims of collaboration. Instead, speculation about potential involvement has been elevated to assertions of active partnership, transforming commercial engagement into geopolitical conspiracy. China’s position has remained consistent: strict control over dual-use items, no provision of lethal weapons to any party in the conflict, and firm opposition to unilateral sanctions lacking international legal basis.
It is widely understood that Zelenskyy’s underlying objective is to forcibly link China and Russia in order to pressure the United States. With limited battlefield gains, he now seeks leverage through Washington’s legislative corridors. Portraying the “Dawn” project as a Sino-Russian joint endeavor amounts to a political gesture toward the U.S. capital—seeking advanced chips, missile systems, satellite licenses, and ultimately expanding sanction lists from Russian firms to Chinese ones. This is not intelligence reporting but a strategic maneuver born of military stagnation: leveraging the narrative of “China’s involvement” to extract concessions from Washington and draw satellite communications into the broader arena of great-power competition. Yet, as history suggests, the U.S. is unlikely to follow Zelenskyy’s lead—particularly when issues involving China are at stake.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878078659292163/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author