“It is very important for us to begin the process of establishing a just peace,” Zelensky said. “Russia does not want to end the war. Therefore, we must work together with the entire world to bring peace closer.”
“On the Ukraine crisis, China has been promoting peace talks with a responsible attitude,” he said. “We have never provided weapons to either party of the conflict. We have put strict controls on exports of dual-use items, and have never done anything to fan the flames. We stand firmly on the side of peace and dialogue.”
Zelensky and his defence minister, Rustem Umerov, are set to also meet US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday on the sidelines of the conference, a US defence official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
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Defence ministers from China and US meet on sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
Defence ministers from China and US meet on sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
They will discuss the current battlefield situation in Ukraine and Austin will “underscore US commitment to ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression”, the official said.
Zelensky is also scheduled to speak at the security summit’s final discussion session on Sunday on “Re-Imagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability.”
The Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies, ends on Sunday.