SINGAPORE: President of Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday arrived in Singapore to participate in security forum, as he seeks more support for Kyiv while a Russian offensive intensifies.
Zelensky is scheduled to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said, adding that Zelensky would appear in person.
There had been speculation that Zelensky might not appear at this weekend’s security forum attended by defense ministers from around the world, including China and the United States.
Zelensky has been visiting European nations in recent days to appeal for more military assistance for the Ukrainian army, which has been ceding ground to Russian attacks.
Earlier, the US has decided to partially lift restrictions on using US-provided weapons to strike inside Russia, which Zelensky has termed as a positive step.
US President Joe Biden had come under immense pressure from Ukraine to ease his ban but was reluctant as it could drag NATO into the conflict directly or even cause a nuclear standoff with Moscow.
Germany on Friday said it too had given permission to Ukraine to use German-delivered weapons at targets in Russia.
Putin warns of serious consequences
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned that there would be serious consequences if Western countries gave such approval to Ukraine.
Ukraine is struggling to hold its ground against Russian ground offensive in the Kharkiv region, where Moscow has made its largest gains.
As the war with Russia’s is in its third year, Ukrainian soldiers are exhausted and outgunned.
Many Kyiv allies are uneasy about the prospect of sending troops to Ukraine.
In February, French President Emmanuel Macron has refused to rule out sending troops to Ukraine.
Zelensky in recent days has visited Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Sweden as he seeks more arms and aid for his military struggling against the Russian offensive.
Sweden on Wednesday pledged a military assistance of $1.25 billion to Ukraine.
