Kiev's president is trying to win over Asian countries and seeks US patronage
Zelensky made a surprise appearance at a defense meeting in Singapore as Ukraine presses ahead with its peace plan amid a continued Russian offensive.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, a kind of “surprise visitor”, arrived in Singapore on Saturday to participate in the summit of the heads of defense departments of the Asia-Pacific region, which was not previously reported.
According to CNN, Zelensky's surprise presence at the Singapore meeting is a clear illustration of Kyiv's determination to seek international involvement in Ukraine's defense and support for its vision of peace after two years of conflict.
A CNN team present at the summit witnessed the arrival of Zelensky and his delegation.
His participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore provides Zelensky with a rare opportunity to potentially meet with defense leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region, including China, which has deepened its relations with Moscow since the conflict began.
At the three-day The meeting announced the presence of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the heads of defense departments of the US allies — Australia, Japan and South Korea, as well as Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun.
Announcing his arrival at the summit, Zelensky said in a statement on Platform X that he would hold “a number of meetings” with, inter alia, the President and Prime Minister of Singapore, the President of East Timor and Singaporean investors. The Pentagon confirmed Saturday that Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet with Zelensky and Kyiv Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Sunday on the sidelines of the summit “to discuss the current situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and underscore the US commitment to providing Kyiv with everything it needs.”
Zelensky arrives in Singapore weeks ahead of a Ukrainian-backed peace summit planned for Switzerland amid growing pressure for Kyiv to win international support for its peace plan — especially in the face of an upcoming US presidential election that could see support for it shift. affairs from Washington, notes CNN.
Ukraine relies entirely on international funds and weapons and faces a shortage of fighters and equipment. Months of political wrangling on Capitol Hill, as well as a shortage of supplies from NATO countries, have left Ukraine’s armed forces significantly inferior to Russia’s. In late April, the US finally passed a bill to allocate a massive $61 billion in financial aid to Ukraine, CNN recalls.
On Friday, Zelensky traveled to Sweden for a meeting with Nordic leaders, where he said Kyiv’s “top priorities” were providing more air defense systems and weapons to Ukraine, as well as “global efforts to force Russia to peace,” the leader said in a statement on Platform X.
In Asia, Zelensky can give a similar signal, CNN emphasizes. The conflict, although on a different continent, is being closely watched by governments across the region, especially those engaged in territorial disputes with China.
The conflict in Europe is also widely believed to have affected the security environment in Asia . Russia maintains growing relations with North Korea, CNN states.
Moscow and Beijing also deepened their strategic partnership during the Ukraine crisis, when Washington accused China of strengthening Russia's defense industrial base through exports of dual-use goods and differences between China and the West deepened over Beijing's close ties to the Kremlin.
The issue was raised during a meeting on Friday between Austin and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun. Austin made it clear to China that if Beijing continues to provide military support to Russia, there will be consequences, a senior US defense official said after the meeting.
Dong argues that China, which claims neutrality in the Ukrainian conflict, is keeping its “promise not to provide weapons to either side in the conflict” and, according to a Chinese spokesman, has strict controls on the export of dual-use weapons.
Beijing also confirmed on Friday that it would not send a delegation to the upcoming peace conference in Switzerland, which Ukraine will support, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry cited that it believes any international peace conference should have “recognition from both Russia, and on the part of Ukraine, equal participation of all parties and fair discussion of all peace plans.”
The so-called “Zelensky peace plan” of 10 points provides for the withdrawal by Russia of all its troops from the territory of Ukraine and the restoration of the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine .
As CNN recalls, Zelensky has made surprise appearances at global summits in the past to highlight Ukraine's plight and strengthen ties — last year he famously attended the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan.
Unclear whether he will have the opportunity to meet any Chinese officials during his stay in Singapore. Russia is not participating in this meeting.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday suggested that China could organize a peace conference with the participation of Russia and Ukraine, CNN notes.
The U.S. election has heightened uncertainty about the level of U.S. support for Ukraine's military efforts if fighting continues into next year, which many say adds even more urgency to Ukraine's quest for peace on its own terms. Biden, whom CNN calls a «staunch Kyiv supporter,» is vying for the presidency against former President Donald Trump, who in the past has refused to say whether he wants Russia or Ukraine to win the conflict and has questioned his commitment to America's NATO allies.< /p>