In a surprise address at Asia’s premier security summit, which is taking place in Singapore, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Sunday that China’s backing of Russia will prolong the conflict in Ukraine.
He was also urging nations in the Asia-Pacific region to attend a peace conference that he said Russia was attempting to obstruct. The international peace conference on Ukraine is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 15-16.
“With China’s support to Russia, the war will last longer. That is bad for the whole world and the policy of China – who declares that it supports territorial integrity and sovereignty and declares it officially. For them it is not good,” Zelensky said during a press conference on the sidelines of Shangri La Dialogue, according to CNN.
Zelensky made the remarks in Singapore during an unexpected visit to a gathering of defence chiefs from the US and China, as well as other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
In remarks made on Sunday, Zelenskyy made a hint about this support when he said that some components of Russia’s armaments “come from China,” according to CNN.
Zelenskyy also issued a warning, claiming that China was aiding Russia in its attempt to persuade nations not to attend the next international peace conference.
“Russia is trying to disrupt the peace summit and that is true … (Russia) is now travelling around many countries in the world threatening them with the blockade of the agricultural goods, of the food products, of chemical products … it is simply pushing the other countries of the world so that they’re not present on the summit,” Zelensky said after delivering an address at the defence conference, which is taking place in Singapore, according to CNN.
Upon being questioned thereafter over China’s absence at the peace summit on Ukraine, which is slated to take place in Switzerland, Zelenskyy accused Russia of manipulating the gathering by sending Chinese diplomats.
“Regrettably, it is unfortunate that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of Putin,” Zelenskyy said, as per an interpreter, reported CNN.
In a speech earlier today, Chinese Minister of National Defence Dong Jun stated that China has been “promoting peace talks with a responsible attitude.”
In his speech, Dong also seemed to address US accusations that China is using dual-use exports to support Russia’s defence industry, as per CNN. He stated that China has placed “stricter control” on dual-use exports and has not given weapons to either side in the conflict.
During a Friday side discussion, US Defence Chief Lloyd Austin brought up those exchanges with Dong and threatened to hold China accountable for any Chinese military assistance to Russia.
The Shangri-La Dialogue serves as Asia’s premier annual defence summit, convening government leaders, senior officials, experts, and business icons to foster cooperation and address regional security challenges.
The Ukrainian President has been trying to lobby countries to support a peace summit to be held in Switzerland on June 15 and 16, where he hopes to win broad international backing for his vision of the terms needed to end Russia’s war.