“A series of diplomatic failures led to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, but diplomacy in the form of a peace summit can end this war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a security forum in Singapore.

Speaking to defense ministers and delegates from 50 countries at the end of the Shangri-La Dialogue conference, the Ukrainian leader said that “an open and inclusive dialogue is necessary.”

We believe that our world wants to be united and capable of acting in complete harmony

Zelensky said. He argues that diplomacy – in the form of a peace summit to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16 – is the best way to end the ongoing “cruel war”.

He said so far 106 countries and organizations had expressed their willingness to participate in the Swiss peace summit. However, he felt disappointed that several world leaders had not given their support. He stressed that Russia was trying to disrupt peace efforts by threatening other countries with withholding food or gas supplies if they participated in the summit.

The president stressed that Russia’s hostile behavior toward Ukraine reveals “that there is no element in the global security architecture” that can stop Moscow’s efforts to “erase Ukraine from the political map of the world.”

Russia started a war that Ukraine never, ever wanted or provoked, and it turned into the most tragic conflict in European history since World War II. All this was caused by a series of diplomatic failures

– he said to the gathered audience, who received him with long applause.

When unity is needed, the world is divided, when bold decisions are needed, many people are satisfied with the status quo

– added.

However, Zelensky assesses that currently most countries are willing and able to cooperate in the security sector, from forming military coalitions to providing humanitarian assistance.

He thanked, among others, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands for providing military equipment and the government of Qatar for helping free nearly 20,000 people. Ukrainian children were illegally deported to Russia and soldiers were taken prisoner.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Zelensky met, among others, with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. As he wrote on Platform

The Ukrainian President arrived in Singapore on Saturday at the invitation of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), organizer of the Shangri-La Dialogue – the most important defense summit in Asia, which has been held since 2002. This was his first personal participation in the summit. Last year he delivered his speech remotely.

Russian representatives have not participated in the Shangri-La Dialogue since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

READ MORE: First Ukraine Peace Summit to be held. Zelensky announced the date and venue. More than 160 countries were invited, but not Russia

no/PAP