Ukraine's Zelenskiy arrives in Singapore for Shangri-La Dialogue, in hopes of rallying support from Asian countries
SINGAPORE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Singapore on June 1, as he seeks to rally a broader swathe of support for his country, which faces a renewed assault two years after Russian forces invaded.
Forum organisers confirmed that Mr Zelenskiy is slated to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue’s seventh plenary session on June 2 titled “Re-Imagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability”. Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin will also be speaking at the same session.
A well-positioned source told The Straits Times that the Ukrainian delegation hopes to meet the Chinese delegation led by Defence Minister Dong Jun 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.
Asked if Admiral Dong would agree to meet Mr Zelenskiy, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said: “I do not answer hypothetical questions.”