Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia and China are endeavoring to subvert his next international peace meeting in Switzerland. According to him, Russia was attempting to discourage other governments from participating in the event, and China was also engaged in similar efforts. During his speech at an Asian security summit, Putin further said that some components of Russia's armament originate from China. China maintains a neutral stance in the Ukraine conflict, a posture that has come under scrutiny, notably from the United States. Beijing is said to be assisting Moscow by providing military components. Additionally, it is seen as supporting the Russian economy via the acquisition of large amounts of oil and gas, mitigating the effects of Western sanctions.

Mr. Zelensky unexpectedly joined the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, which was attended by defense leaders from many countries, including US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese defense minister Dong Jun. The purpose of the tour was to garner support from Asian nations. In addition to engaging with regional leaders, he also encouraged participants to participate in his next summit scheduled for later in June. Mr. Zelensky said that the primary objectives of the initiative would be to prioritize nuclear security, food security, and the liberation of prisoners of war as well as Ukrainian children now detained in Russia. According to him, 106 nations have confirmed their intention to send high-ranking officials or their leaders to the summit.

Russia has not received an invitation, and China has declined to go. Russia was not formally invited to join in the event since Moscow had informed Switzerland in advance of its unwillingness to take part. Mr. Zelensky said that Russia was endeavoring to undermine the summit by exerting pressure on nations to abstain, including threats of an embargo on agricultural supplies, chemical items, and energy. He stated that certain nations were aiding in this «diplomatic disruption». China was then identified and accused of actively discouraging nations from participating in the peace conference, in contrast to the United States, which has committed to sending a senior delegate and is urging others to participate. The Chinese foreign ministry expressed the view that the meeting should be acknowledged by both Russia and Ukraine and that both countries should have equal participation. «Otherwise, the conference's ability to contribute significantly to the restoration of peace is limited» - said a spokesman on Friday.

Mr. Zelensky further said that China's President Xi Jinping had previously assured him that they would «refrain from taking sides in this conflict and would not provide military support to Russia». However, he also said that numerous intelligence services have confirmed the presence of some components in Russia's arsenal that originate from China. He urged China to adopt a «consistent» stance. The United States has asserted that China is providing assistance to Russia in the production of more bombs, armored vehicles, and missiles. Approximately 70% of the machine tools and 90% of the microelectronics that Russia buys are estimated to originate from China. In a statement made on Sunday, Chinese defense minister Dong Jun categorically denied providing weapons to any of the parties involved in the Ukraine war. In addition, he said that they have implemented stringent regulations on the export of dual-use technology, referring to goods that have the potential to be used for both civilian and military applications. «We have never taken any actions to exacerbate the situation». In his remarks, he expressed unequivocal support for peace and dialogue. In what ways is China providing help to Russia after the imposition of sanctions due to its involvement in the Ukraine war? Mr. Zelensky said that he did not encounter Mr. Dong during the discussion, but he did have a meeting with Mr. Austin. Mr. Zelensky said that the two individuals addressed the United States' decision to authorize Ukraine to deploy American weaponry on Russian soil.

That choice is accompanied with certain limitations. When questioned about whether he asked for the restrictions to be lifted, he expressed gratitude towards the US for granting Ukraine permission to deploy the HIMARS artillery rocket system in the Kharkiv area, where there has been significant conflict. Is that satisfactory? «No» - he said, further noting that Russia was consistently launching attacks from airfields, well aware that Ukraine would not retaliate. The United States, along with other Western nations like France, has decided to provide Ukraine more flexibility in using armaments provided by Western countries. Russia has cautioned about the «grave repercussions» of this action. Mr. Zelensky's recent voyage to Asia was his second since the conflict started. A year ago, he unexpectedly attended the G7 leaders' conference in Hiroshima, Japan.