Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Accused China of Disrupting Peace Summit in Switzerland

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed China on Sunday for “working hard” to disrupt the upcoming Ukraine peace summit, which is scheduled to take place in Switzerland from June 15 to 16.
On Friday, Beijing said the Ukraine peace summit “falls short” of China’s requirements and the international community’s expectations, which it said, makes it difficult for the country to attend.
Expressing that Kiev is “not positive” about Beijing’s decision not to attend the summit, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has every right to propose peace initiatives on its own to end the more than two-year conflict.
“It is up to us to take the initiative, because we are aware of all the crises that Russia has brought to the Ukrainian territory through its war. With all due respect, neither China, Brazil, nor anyone else is fully aware of what Russia has brought to this war,” he said.
The Russia-Ukraine war “will be longer” with China’s support for Moscow, he alleged, adding that this is “bad for the whole world, including China itself, which says it respects territorial integrity and sovereignty, which are the main principles.”
In response to Zelenskyy’s speech, the Russian Embassy in Singapore posted a statement on Telegram, describing his participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue as having “left us with a feeling of indignation”.
“His (Zelenskyy’s) speech in support of diplomacy was nothing else but a mockery of diplomacy. A vivid example is the so-called peace conference in Switzerland to be held in mid-June,” the statement said.
It claimed that Zelenskyy’s participation in the conference is a “last resort” to persuade the Global South to attend the Ukraine peace summit, which it argued is intended to formulate and impose an ultimatum on Russia.