China is allegedly attempting to undermine a Ukraine peace conference set for later this month in Switzerland, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security event in Singapore, Zelenskyy said that China, in contrast with the United States, was working to ensure "that countries do not take part in the peace summit," Ukrainian media reported.
Russia has not been invited to the conference to be held at Burgenstock near Lucerne on June 15 and 16. China has also indicated that it will not attend.
In a previous address to the event, Zelenskyy said that there were countries trying to obstruct attendance at the Swiss conference, without mentioning China by name.
Russia has said it has no interest in participating in the Swiss conference, a position confirmed by President Vladimir Putin during his state visit to Beijing last month.
China, which has put forward its own peace plan, believes that conditions are not yet right. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing on Friday that the arrangements did not meet China's expectations or those of the international community.
According to Zelenskyy, more than 100 countries and organizations have confirmed attendance. The conference would discuss an exchange of prisoners, food and nuclear security, with the aim of presenting a proposal to Moscow, he said.
Another aim is to return Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Zelenskyy has accused Russia of abducting 20,000 children since Moscow launched its invasion in 2022.
