Beijing is allegedly trying to derail Ukraine’s “peace summit” on Moscow’s behalf, Vladimir Zelensky claims
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky speaks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 2, 2024. © AFP / Nhac Nguyen
China is acting on Russia’s behalf and pushing other nations into skipping the upcoming Swiss-hosted “peace summit,” as well as providing Moscow with military assistance, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has claimed.
Zelensky fired a rare diplomatic broadside at Beijing on Sunday while speaking during a press conference after his surprise appearance at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security conference organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore.
“Russia, using Chinese influence on the region, using Chinese diplomats also, does everything to disrupt the peace summit,” Zelensky claimed.
He also raised vague allegations against China for providing Russia with unspecified military assistance amid the hostilities, despite publicly claiming otherwise. Zelensky claimed to have “intelligence that somehow, some way, some things come to Russia’s markets via China,” asserting that some unspecified “elements of Russia’s weaponry come from China.”
“We do not expect military support from China. We have never asked them,” he stated. “But we do not expect China to provide defense support to Russia.”
The remarks came shortly after Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun reiterated Beijing’s neutral stance on the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, stating the country has been standing “firmly on the side of peace and dialogue.”
Beijing “has not provided weapons to either side, and has strict control over exports of dual-use goods,” Dong said during his speech at the Shangri-La conference earlier in the day.
The Ukrainian-sponsored “peace conference” is set to take place on June 15–16 at the Burgenstock Resort near Lucerne, Switzerland. While more than 160 countries have been invited to participate, actual representation is yet to be seen, as many of them have reportedly opted to abstain or send in minor officials.
Moscow has been excluded from the event, with Kiev arguing it would have attempted to derail the event otherwise. This week, Beijing said that it would not be fielding a delegation for the summit, arguing that both parties to the conflict must be present at any peace talks.