Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that Russia and China are trying to undermine his upcoming global peace summit in Switzerland. According to Zelensky, Russia is discouraging other nations from attending, and China is complicit in these efforts.
Speaking at an Asian security forum, Zelensky pointed out that some Russian weapons contain components from China. Despite China’s official stance of neutrality in the Ukraine conflict, this claim casts doubt on their impartiality—a view echoed by the United States, which accuses China of supplying Russia with weapon components and bolstering the Russian economy through substantial oil and gas purchases.
In a surprise appearance at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, attended by global defense leaders, including US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, Zelensky sought support from Asian countries for his summit. He emphasized the summit’s goals: achieving nuclear security, ensuring food security, and securing the release of prisoners of war and Ukrainian children held in Russia.
Zelensky announced that representatives or leaders from 106 countries have confirmed their participation. Notably, Russia was not invited, and China declined to attend. The BBC understands that Russia had communicated its disinterest in participating to Switzerland early on.
Zelensky accused Russia of trying to disrupt the summit by pressuring countries with threats of blocking agricultural, chemical, and energy exports. He singled out China for assisting in this “diplomatic disruption,” contrasting it with the US, which has pledged high-level representation and encouraged other nations to join.
“Russia is doing everything to sabotage the peace summit, leveraging Chinese influence in the region,” Zelensky stated. He criticized China for becoming “an instrument in the hands of Putin,” despite China’s foreign ministry insisting that any peace conference should include both Russia and Ukraine to be effective.
Zelensky also mentioned Xi Jinping’s previous assurance that China would remain neutral and not supply weapons to Russia. However, he pointed to intelligence reports indicating Chinese components in Russian military equipment, urging China to maintain a consistent stance.
The US has echoed these concerns, estimating that many of Russia’s imported machine tools and microelectronics come from China. However, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun denied these allegations, stating that China does not supply weapons to either side in the conflict and has imposed strict controls on dual-use technology exports.
During the forum, Zelensky did not meet with Dong Jun but discussed with Lloyd Austin the US permitting Ukraine to use American weapons on Russian territory under certain conditions. Zelensky expressed gratitude for the US support, including the HIMARS artillery rocket system, but stressed the need for more flexibility as Russian airfields continue to launch attacks.
This visit to Asia was Zelensky’s second since the war began, following his appearance at the G7 summit in Hiroshima last year. His presence underscores the ongoing efforts to rally international support against Russian aggression.
