Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (centre) shaking hands with Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen at the Shangri-La Dialogue on June 2. - ST
SINGAPORE: Diplomacy does work, but it requires the will and backing of the global community, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday (June 2).
He said this as he sought international support for an upcoming peace summit to be held in Switzerland on June 15 and 16. The summit is intended to show that there is a common understanding within the majority of nations on next steps towards peace in Ukraine, and to convey this to Russia.
That the civilised world has not allowed Ukraine to be seized by an aggressor shows that the international community puts stock in the rules-based order and respect for human life, said Zelensky.
“We are convinced that our world wants to be united and be capable of acting in complete harmony,” he said in a speech at the security dialogue’s seventh and final plenary session on June 2.
He added: “Diplomacy does work, when it truly aims to protect lives.”
The peace summit is “not even about weaponry support”, stressed Zelensky. “This is about the support of the very end of the war. It’s about disrupting it, and doing it in all regions,” he said.
Typical of the 46-year-old President, Zelensky was casually dressed in a polo shirt as he addressed his decked-out audience of world leaders, defence ministers, chiefs of defence forces, senior officials and academics at the annual event, which is Asia’s premier security conference, held at Shangri-La Hotel.
But there was nothing casual about his tone, which urged leaders present to help his people end the bitter war with Russia, which is into its third year.
Time is running out, Zelensky said, as he made his call for international support for Kyiv amid fresh Russian offensives a fortnight ahead of the Ukraine-backed peace summit.
“Children are growing up in Putin’s land, where they are taught to hate their homeland, and being told they have no families while their loved ones wait for them at home in Ukraine,” he said.
“After the peace summit, when the global majority agrees on the common understandings and steps, the relevant parties will pass this to Russia,” he added.
Zelensky, who touched down in Singapore on June 1 with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov in tow, was speaking as a last-minute addition to the discussion, titled “Reimagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability”.
The plenary had originally featured Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and the words “global peace” were added after Zelensky’s inclusion.
Asked how Singapore might be expected to support this process during the question-and-answer segment of the plenary, Dr Ng told the audience that Singapore “strongly supports” Ukraine’s position in principle and practice.
He pointed out that Singapore had, in the early days of the invasion of Ukraine, condemned Russia’s actions.
“With your appearance in this Shangri-La Dialogue, President Zelensky is the epitome of what we are all hoping for: a rules-based order, one which guarantees the security and survival of large nations and small,” said Dr Ng.
“I speak on behalf of us that we hope that your struggles will continue to bear victory, and we hope (for) significant progress, and we wish for your personal safety and the well-being of the people of Ukraine.”
Dr Ng was speaking after Zelensky stated his wish for Singapore, as well as other countries in this region, to support Ukraine with their leaders’ personal participation at the peace summit.
Zelensky’s speech at the security forum was part of his mission to win global support for his vision of the terms needed to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
He disclosed at the dialogue that Ukraine has so far received confirmation from 106 countries that they will be sending representatives to the peace summit.
Russia has made clear that it would not be taking part in the high-level conference, and China has said that it would be “difficult” for it to attend if Russia did not participate.
Even before he took to the stage, Zelensky has had a series of meetings with other leaders who are in town for the security forum, which is organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
His first meeting on June 1 was with Indonesia’s President-Elect Prabowo Subianto, with whom he discussed Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan. Among other things, it calls for the restoration of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders, and the withdrawal of all Russian troops from its territory.
He then met a delegation of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss further assistance to Ukraine, ahead of his June 2 meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the battlefield situation.
Besides military assistance in the form of additional systems and missiles to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence, the group discussed increasing sanctions against Russia, Zelensky said in a tweet.
He also met Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, who confirmed that he would attend the upcoming peace summit, the Ukrainian President said in another tweet.
Stressing that South-East Asian countries’ participation would be “crucial”, Zelensky added: “It’s very important for us to begin the process of establishing a just peace. Russia does not want to end the war. Therefore, we must work together with the entire world to bring peace closer.”
Zelensky’s arrival in Singapore coincided with Russia’s largest missile and drone attack in more than three weeks against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.
Russia has not sent a delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue since 2022, the year it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
But in attendance at the summit were both the US’ Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun.
A well-positioned source had told The Straits Times that Zelensky hopes to meet the Chinese delegation while in Singapore. “He meets the Americans and Europeans all the time, so he would want to use this forum to reach out to the Asian community,” the source said.
It is unclear if Zelensky would get his wish, but Admiral Dong made a brief mention of China’s position on the Ukraine crisis at the opening plenary session on June 2.
Adm Dong said China has been promoting peace talks with a responsible attitude, and has never provided weapons to either party in the conflict.
“We have put strict control on export of dual-use items, and have never done anything to fan the flames,” he said. “We stand firmly on the side of peace and dialogue.”
China will not allow hegemonism or power politics to undermine the interest of Asia-Pacific countries, added the Chinese Defence Minister.
“We will also not allow anyone to bring geopolitical conflicts or any war, whether hot or cold, to our region. We will not allow any country or any force to create conflict and chaos in our region,” he added.
Zelensky said on June 1 that he is slated to meet Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Singaporean investors.
Zelensky last spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2022, when he appeared via video conference wearing a black T-shirt with an illustration designed by a Singaporean teen. It showed a girl spray-painting the blue and yellow colours of the Ukraine flag. - The Straits Times/ANN
