SINGAPORE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday accused China of helping Russia to disrupt a Swiss-hosted peace conference on Ukraine’s war.
Zelenskiy told Asia’s largest security council that China was pressuring other countries and their leaders not to attend upcoming talks, without saying which countries would attend.
“Russia is doing everything it can to use China’s influence in the region, and even Chinese diplomats, to sabotage the peace summit,” he said at a news conference at the Shangri-La Defense Forum. “It’s unfortunate that a big country like China has become a pawn of (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin.”
China has maintained its neutrality in the war, putting it at odds with Ukraine, the United States and most of Europe. Trade with Russia has expanded, mitigating the economic impact of Western sanctions, and U.S., Ukrainian and other intelligence agencies say there is evidence that Chinese-made components are used in Russian weapons, even if China is not directly supplying arms to its neighbor.
Switzerland had hoped that China would attend the peace talks in mid-June, but Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning suggested on Friday that this was unlikely. China has called for peace talks in which all sides can participate equally, including Russia, which was not invited.
“There is still an obvious gap between the preparations for the talks, China’s demands and the general expectations of the international community,” Mao said. “This makes it difficult for China to participate in the talks.”
The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Zelenskiy’s accusations.
“It’s not just support for Russia, it’s basically support for war,” the Ukrainian leader said of China’s pressure on other countries.
Speaking at the Security Council on the same day, President Zelensky said he was disappointed that some countries had not committed to participating, and called for senior defense officials to attend the next round of talks in Switzerland.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun spoke before Zelensky at the Shangri-La Conference, but was not apparently in the room when Zelensky made his appeal.
Zelensky said Ukraine plans to propose the basis for peace at the summit, including nuclear security, food security, the release of prisoners of war and the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
“Time is running out and children are growing up in Putin’s country and being taught to hate their homeland,” he said.
At the same time, Zelensky said Ukraine was “ready to listen to various proposals and ideas leading to an end to the war and a sustainable and just peace.”
The more participation there is, the greater the chance that Russia will be forced to listen, he said.
“Having the majority of the world involved will ensure that what is agreed upon is carried out,” he said.
Zelenskyy said he would meet one-on-one with the Singaporean prime minister and would urge him to take part in the talks with Switzerland in person.
“The same goes for the countries of the region,” he said through a translator. “We sincerely hope that you will support this summit and come to Switzerland.”
Two senior Philippine government officials said Trump would travel from Singapore to Manila and may personally invite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the summit.
Ukrainian officials have informed the Philippines of Zelenskiy’s intention to visit, but the visit is uncertain because the Ukrainian president’s travel plans change frequently, said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.
Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, who spoke on stage with Zelensky, did not say whether his country’s leaders would attend but noted that Singapore condemned the incursion and had provided Ukraine with military ambulances.
“We support you and I think your attendance at this Shangri-La Dialogue epitomizes what we all want: a rules-based order that guarantees the security and survival of countries large and small,” he said.
Dong did not specifically mention the Swiss talks in his speech at the forum, but said “regarding the Ukraine crisis, China has promoted peace negotiations in a responsible manner.”
He added that China has not provided weapons to either side in the conflict.
“We are not doing anything to add fuel to the fire,” he said. “We are firmly on the side of peace and dialogue.”
Seated in the front row as Zelenskiy spoke was U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In his speech on Saturday, Austin told the Security Council that “Putin’s war of aggression has given us a glimpse of a world none of us want.”
“We are all inspired by the courage of the Ukrainian military and the resilience of the Ukrainian people,” Austin said. “People from all over the world, including Indo-Pacific nations, are rushing to help Ukraine defend itself.”
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Moritsugu reported from Hong Kong. Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed.
