“Time is running out, and the children are growing up in the Putin-land where they are taught to hate their homeland,” he said.
Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who shared the stage with Zelensky, did not say whether his country’s leaders would attend, but did note Singapore had condemned the invasion and provided Ukraine with military ambulances.
“We stand with you, and I think your appearance at this Shangri-La Dialogue is the epitome of what we are all hoping for, a rules-based order that guarantees the security and survival of large nations and small,” he said.
“More than 100 countries and international organisations have confirmed their participation in the summit,” Zelensky said, adding that topics to be discussed include nuclear security, food security and the release of prisoners of war.
It remains unclear which nations will send delegates to the summit.
In a press conference after his speech at Sunday’s forum, Zelensky reiterated the call to Asian countries to support Ukraine by joining the peace summit.
“We need the support of Asian countries. It is much needed … We want Asia to know what is going on in Ukraine, Asia to support the end of the war. We want Asian leaders to attend the peace summit,” he said.
While many Asian countries did not support Ukraine through the supply of weapons, Ukraine would “always ask first and foremost” for political and humanitarian support, he added.
Zelensky then said he would judge the success of his trip to Singapore on the “presence of representatives from Asia” at the coming summit.
Beijing will not send representatives as “arrangements for the meeting still fall far short of China’s requests and the general expectations of the international community,” a spokesman for the foreign ministry said at a briefing on Saturday.
An international peace conference should be endorsed by both Russia and Ukraine so that proposals can be “discussed in a fair and equal manner”, the Chinese spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Washington has signalled its support for the summit but has not confirmed whether Biden will attend, a move Zelensky heavily criticised.
“I know that the US supports the summit but we don’t know at what level,” he said at a press conference last week. “[The] peace summit needs President Biden and so do the other leaders who look at the reaction of the United States. Putin will only applaud his absence, personally applaud it – and standing, at that.”
Responding on Sunday to a question at his press briefing on Beijing’s role in helping to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, Zelensky said China’s support of Russia would likely prolong the war, which would be to the detriment of the world.
This would also go against China’s claims over sovereignty and territorial integrity, he warned.
Russia had been using “Chinese influence on the [Asian] region” and diplomats to “disrupt the peace summit”, he added, describing China as “an instrument in the hands of Putin”.
“He assumed that he could very quickly roll over his neighbour and annex the country. That was two-plus years ago. He has not achieved any of his strategic objectives to this point. But this was brought on because of a decision made by Mr Putin.”
Prabowo, meanwhile, urged delegates to “never lose sight of the dangers of escalation, the dangers of miscalculation, the danger of not understanding your adversary, of underestimating his legitimate interests.”
“Indonesia is far from the region, but we view with deep sadness that humanitarian suffering, the geopolitical and economic ramifications that has impacted the whole world,” he said.
On Sunday, Austin met Zelensky and reiterated Washington’s “unwavering” support for Ukraine, according to a Pentagon statement. The two discussed US security assistance and pledged to further strengthen their countries’ strategic defence partnership, it said.
Additional reporting by Associated Press