-Analysis-
PARIS — It’s well known that Volodymyr Zelensky does not have a diplomatic temperament. He demonstrated this once again at a security conference in Singapore, by venting his anger at China: the Ukrainian president accused Beijing of sabotaging an international conference on Ukraine, scheduled June 15-16 in Switzerland.
Zelensky said that China is putting pressure on other countries not to take part in this conference. “It is regrettable,” he said, ”that a country as big, as independent and as powerful as China is an instrument in Putin’s hands.”
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The outburst drew a sharp response from Beijing: China has “never stoked the flames of conflict” in Ukraine, a spokesman said.
In fact, Zelensky’s anger reflects the announced failure of the conference scheduled to take place in Switzerland. China won’t be attending, and neither will the heads of state of the major countries of the Global South: Brazil, India and South Africa — or U.S. President Joe Biden for that matter.
An ambiguous meeting
That’s the ambiguity of this meeting. Officially presented as a peace conference, it did not include Russian participation from the outset. But without one of the belligerents, no matter how aggressive, it cannot be a peace conference, but rather a summit in support of Ukraine and its unilateral plan. But the countries of the South don’t want to choose sides.
China’s presence would have been incompatible, because, despite its denials, Beijing is sticking by Russia, as demonstrated by Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to his friend Xi Jinping. In the context of the cold war with the United States, China had no reason to make this “gift” to the West by participating in a conference directed against Russia.
Zelensky believes Ukraine’s struggle is greater than the fate of his country.
The Chinese president has had just one telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart since Russia’s invasion, at France’s urging; a positive gesture that has had no follow-up. The only uncertainty is the extent to which China is participating in the Russian war effort.
Present at the Shangri-La conference in Singapore, where he refused to meet Zelensky, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun denied supplying any arms to Russia. But the Americans believe that, whether voluntarily or not, China is allowing dual components and technologies to find their way into Russian weapons.
Strong symbolism
In any case, the conference in Switzerland will be of little use. Especially because Biden won’t be there either. He has an appointment that day with the actor George Clooney, who is organizing a fundraising evening for the Democratic candidate’s presidential campaign.Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the conference.
Last week, Biden had also incurred the wrath of Zelensky when his absence was announced: the Ukrainian president said maliciously that Putin would “applaud” Biden’s absence.
Paris is already nervous about possible undiplomatic outbursts from Zelensky
Yet the two men will meet this week in Normandy, for ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings, in the absence of any Russian participation.
Paris is already nervous about possible undiplomatic outbursts from Zelensky, who doesn’t bother with decorum, convinced that Ukraine’s struggle is greater than just the fate of his country. On the beaches of Normandy, where foreign soldiers died to liberate France and Europe, the symbolism is going to be strong.
