Russian embassy in Singapore slams Zelensky’s bid for Asean support at Shangri-La Dialogue

The embassy’s statement was issued several days before Singapore said it would be attending the peace summit in Switzerland

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Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shaking hands with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during their meeting at the Istana or Presidential Palace on June 2, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 2:05pm, 7 Jun 2024Updated: 2:17pm, 7 Jun 2024

The Russian embassy in Singapore has lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for attending the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in the city state over the weekend and urged Asean countries against joining a coming peace summit.

Zelensky made a surprise stop at the forum, calling on Asian countries to join Swiss-led peace talks on June 15 and 16 and marking his second trip to the region since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

In a Facebook post on Sunday on its official page expressing outrage, the Russian embassy accused Zelensky of attempting a “last resort to persuade the Global South” to join the Switzerland summit, which it called “bizarre”.

“We hope that the millennia-old wisdom currently enshrined in the Asean-led architecture will prevail and help Asean member states make the right choice in support of a new emerging multilateral world order,” it said on the same day Zelensky spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The peace conference is being hosted by Switzerland at the request of Zelensky. Switzerland has invited 160 countries, and according to Zelensky, more than 100 governments have accepted. Russia is reportedly not invited.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference on the sideline of the 2024 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Photo: EPA-EFE

On Wednesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann would be his representative at the summit.