Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy seeks support for peace summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to speak at Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday.

He will be talking about "Re-Imagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability" at the security summit's final discussion session.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian president had made a surprise visit to Singapore for the summit.

He met Indonesia's president-elect, Prabowo Subianto; a delegation from the US Congress; and the president of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta at the sidelines of the discussion.

Zelenskyy is seeking support for a peace summit in Switzerland scheduled for June 15-16.

"It is very important for us to begin the process of establishing a just peace," Zelenskyy said on social media platform X. "Russia does not want to end the war. Therefore, we must work together with the entire world to bring peace closer."

Zelenskyy's visit comes as Ukraine faces a renewed offensive from Russian forces, especially in the northeastern region around Kharkiv.

Zelenskyy and his defence minister, Rustem Umerov, will also meet US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday on the sidelines of the conference, a US defense official confirmed to Reuters news agency.

They will discuss the current battlefield situation in Ukraine, following the recent US decision to ease restrictions on Ukraine's ability to strike targets inside Russia using weapons supplied by Washington.

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun reiterated China's stance of promoting peace talks without providing weapons to either side.

According to media reports, Zelenskyy will meet the Chinese defense minister to secure China's participation in the Swiss peace talks.

Russia has not been a part of the summit since the Ukraine war began in 2022.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, concludes on Sunday.

ss/wd (Reuters, dpa)