Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue Summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on June 2, 2024.
Nhac Nguyen | Afp | Getty Images
SINGAPORE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused China on Sunday of helping Russia disrupt an upcoming peace summit by pressuring other countries not to attend.
The peace talks, which focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict that began in February 2022, are scheduled to take place June 15-16 at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland.
Zelensky said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that Russia was using Chinese influence in Asia to disrupt the summit.
“Unfortunately and regrettably, Russia is doing everything it can to disrupt the peace summit by exploiting Chinese influence in the region and using Chinese diplomats,” a translation of his remarks said, without giving specific examples.
“It is unfortunate that such a large, independent and powerful country like China is an instrument [the] hands off [Russian President Vladimir] “Putin,” he added. CNBC has reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Singapore for comment.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has previously indicated that it would not attend the peace conference because it did not meet its expectations. Moscow, meanwhile, was not invited and rejected the conference.
Zelensky also accused Russia of threatening other countries with blockades on goods such as agricultural exports, chemical products and high energy prices. CNBC has reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.
Calling Asian Nations
In his plenary speech, the Ukrainian president said the Switzerland summit would focus on three points of Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan, first announced in November 2022.
The summit will focus on nuclear safety, food security and the return of abducted Ukrainian children from Russia.
“Time is running out,” he said. “The children are growing up in Putin’s country, where they are taught to hate their homeland and are told that they have no family while their loved ones wait for them at home.”
While Zelensky said 106 nations would send at least high-level representatives to the summit, he expressed disappointment that some world leaders would not attend.
Notably, the US has not confirmed whether President Joe Biden will attend, although Zelensky said the US had confirmed its participation “at a high level.”
At a press conference after his speech, the Ukrainian president reiterated that he wanted the support of Asian countries. “It is urgently needed… Each of the countries in your region, we want Asia to know what is going on in Ukraine. We want Asia to support the end of the war.”
Specifically for Singapore, Zelensky said he would meet both Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and expressed his wish that the Singapore leader support Ukraine by personally attending the summit become.
He said Ukraine has never asked Asian countries to support Ukraine militarily, but is asking for political and humanitarian support, as well as support for Ukraine’s civilian population.
“All of this has become the basis of our peace formula and has developed into a global peace summit. This is how every leader and every country can show their commitment to peace,” he said.
“With their commitment, the global majority can ensure that what was agreed is actually implemented. And that Russia, which started this cruel war, cannot divert us from the path to ending the war.”
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2024-06-02 10:04:14
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