Singapore: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 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.
During a surprise visit to a gathering of defence chiefs from the Asia-Pacific region, which included China and the US, Zelenskyy made the remarks in Singapore. It takes place ahead of the international peace conference on Ukraine that is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 15–16.
“I held a meeting with leading investment companies in Singapore. Even in the midst of war, the Ukrainian economy is finding ways to develop and grow, adapting to new circumstances. I am grateful to those Singaporean businessmen who continue to work in Ukraine and maintain employment. I am convinced that the further development of Ukrainian-Singaporean trade cooperation has great potential, especially in the fields of technology and innovation,” Zelenskyy shared on X.
During his side talks since arriving in Singapore on Saturday, Zelenskyy also discussed the defence of Ukraine and the approaching peace summit. These included discussions with a delegation of US senators, Prabowo Subianto, the president-elect of Indonesia, José Ramos-Horta, the president of Timor-Leste, and US Defense Secretary Austin.
They discussed the key issues including the defence needs of Ukraine, bolstering the country’s air defence system, the F-16 coalition, and drafting of a bilateral security agreement.
Previous week US President Joe Biden has eased a ban on the country employing US weaponry inside Russian territory to assist Ukraine in fending off an invasion of its northeastern Kharkiv region. Zelenskyy thanked the President for the move on X.
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