With Zoya Sheftalovich WELCOME TO DAY 3 of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where top of the agenda is today’s speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He’s due to speak at 11:30 a.m. Singapore time. The eagle has landed: Zelenskyy and his entourage, including Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, touched down in Singapore from Abu Dhabi Saturday evening. Crowds of journalists, delegates — and a couple of confused tourists — thronged the central lobby as the president arrived, dressed in a black T-shirt, greeted by a sea of cameras and cellphones. Tough assignment: As he holds a series of meetings, including with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin later today, Zelenskyy’s task won’t be an easy one: winning the so-called Global South over to Ukraine’s cause. On Zelenskyy's agenda last night: A meeting with a bipartisan delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, including its chair, Republican Michael McCaul, as well as Democrats Gregory Meeks and Joe Courtney and Republicans Young Kim and Joe Wilson. Zelenskyy also held bilats with Timor-Leste’s President José Ramos-Horta and Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto, and asked them to come to the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland on June 15-16 — a key priority for Kyiv. Zelenskyy said: "Southeast Asian countries' participation in the inaugural Global Peace Summit is crucial." Ramos-Horta accepted, according to Zelenskyy; Prabowo is proving a tougher sell. What he’s up against: During his keynote on Saturday, Prabowo fudged the question of whether Indonesia would send a delegation to the Swiss summit and dug down on his controversial call for a peace plan in Ukraine, made at last year’s Shangri-La Dialogue. “I’m still convinced that my proposal remains logical, relevant and necessary,” he declared. Reminder: Prabowo made waves by suggesting Ukraine should accept a Korea-style demilitarized zone, effectively ceding ground to Russia. Zelenskyy's other top priority for the Singapore summit: Getting more weapons, now. It’s no coincidence that several of the countries represented at Shangri-La are big arms manufacturers — not least South Korea, which is expanding its exports and could help replenish the stocks of Ukraine’s neighbors, even if it remains resistant to sending weapons directly to Kyiv. CHINATOWN BEIJING MAKES ITS PRESENCE FELT: China may have received a few sharp warnings from the U.S., Australia and neighbors like the Philippines over its increasingly assertive posture in the Asia-Pacific, but Beijing has been subtly reminding everyone at the Shangri-La Dialogue that this is its backyard. A few strategically placed delegates have ensured China’s voice has been heard throughout the conference. Wolf warriors rising: “They’ve become more vocal in recent years,” said one long-time attendee who is in his 17th year at the summit, referring to Beijing’s proxies. First out of the blocks, with a question to Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the ballroom Friday night, was General Xu Hui, who asked not-so-subtly about the importance of “neutrality” to ASEAN countries. Then on Saturday, another strategically placed audience member, Senior Colonel Cao Yanzhong, posed a loaded question to Pentagon chief Austin: “The east border expansion of NATO has led to the Ukraine crisis. What implications do you think the strengthening of the U.S. alliance system in the Asia-Pacific will have on this region’s security and stability?” Austin parried back: “I respectfully disagree with your point that the expansion of NATO caused the Ukraine crisis” — prompting a 10-second round of applause from the normally reserved Shangri-La crowd. Coming to a panel near you: Diplomatic big beast Cui Tiankai, China’s longest-serving ambassador to the United States. He had a tetchy exchange on Friday with Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, though the two did eventually shake hands (watch here, via Ian Ellis). Dutch vs. Chinese Round 2: Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren came face-to-face with Cui on a panel Saturday — a year after the two had a heated debate about Russia’s war on Ukraine — clashing again. Speaking to POLITICO’s Stuart Lau, Ollongren said she took issue with Cui’s reasoning for Beijing’s decision to skip the upcoming Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland because Russia wouldn’t be there. “I’ve responded by saying what we need is a step-by-step approach … [Ukraine] cannot negotiate with a gun pointed at their head, there has to be some sign of good faith of Russia, by stopping the fighting, retreating.” THE QUESTION EVERYONE’S ASKING TODAY … Will China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun meet with Zelenskyy on the summit sidelines? Kyiv has been seeking high-level dialogue with Beijing for some time. Dong has held private meetings with senior defense officials including French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of National Defence of Canada Bill Blair, Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Australian Deputy PM/Defense Minister Richard Marles. No word on whether he’ll meet Zelenskyy today. AUKUS SQUAD AUKUS. It’s the defense deal between the U.S.,U.K and Australia that secured nuclear submarines for Australia, solidified Canberra’s deep friendship with Washington and London — and provoked deep ire in China (not to mention France). As Global Playbook Editor Zoya Sheftalovich reports, the AUKUS Squad love-in was on display at multiple points on Saturday. Exhibit A: Lloyd Austin, during his keynote Saturday morning, name-checked Australia’s Deputy PM Richard Marles within moments of taking to the stage, before mentioning him again in response to a question from a member of the audience. Austin talked up the benefits of the AUKUS alliance, both for those who are in it, and other like-minded countries in the region. Let us in, Austin: But others — most vocally South Korea — appear to be feeling the chill, now that the U.S. has chosen its Asia-Pacific BFF, and they’re knocking at the AUKUS door. For now, those pleas are landing on deaf ears. Not happening: Asked whether the U.S. would say yes to a potential South Korean request for help building nuclear-powered submarines, Austin responded: “The initiative that we’ve taken on with Australia and the U.K. is … a generational investment. This is no small endeavor. It is very, very difficult to go through each piece of this … Highly doubtful that we could take on another initiative of this type any time in the near future.” Ouch. HOW IT’S LANDING DOWN UNDER: While South Korea is clambering to be allowed in and follow Japan’s lead in joining the so-called Pillar 2 of the project, which focuses on sharing cutting-edge military technology, some of the Australian commentariat want the deal scrapped. What’s their problem? Take your pick: The cost, the delay between signing the deal and getting the subs — and the danger of provoking Beijing and alienating other powers in Southeast Asia. Against that backdrop, it was telling that Marles didn’t mention AUKUS in his own speech on Saturday. Instead, his messaging was “carefully crafted for a Southeast Asian and Chinese target audience,” said Jennifer Parker, an adjunct fellow in naval studies at the University of New South Wales, who was in the audience for the speech and wrote this handy AUKUS primer. “AUKUS had an initial poor reception amongst Southeast Asian nations,” Parker said, and “whilst it has increasingly been accepted and in some quarters even supported and promoted during closed-door meetings in Southeast Asian forums, it can be a distraction.” BALTICS GET BOLSHY PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: Playbook sat down with Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s defense minister, to get his perspective on Europe’s security landscape. Spend, spend, spend. That’s Estonia’s message to NATO countries ahead of the alliance’s July summit. “We are going to Washington with this message: that countries should spend at least 2.5 percent [of their GDP] on defense,” Pevkur said. Top of the class: Tiny Estonia already spends over 3 percent of its GDP on defense, Pevkur noted, adding that just three other NATO countries — the U.S., Greece and Poland — meet that target. New arms race: “We clearly see that 2 percent is not enough,” Pevkur said. “Between 1991 and 2024, defense spending increased by 61 percent in NATO; in Russia it was 592 percent. This has brought us to a result where the stockpiles are empty, where we do not have enough tanks, we do not have enough air defense assets.” Welcome news: Estonia, which declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, welcomed this week’s decision by the Biden administration (quickly followed by Germany) to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons to hit targets inside Russia. “Ukraine cannot fight with their hands behind their back,” Pevkur said. “When we give something to Ukraine, from that moment, they are also Ukrainian assets.” Danger zone: Asked if the development could provoke Russia, he dismissed the idea. “So many times this has been said — when the West gives javelins it will be escalatory; when the West gives storm shadows, tanks, when the west gives F-16s it will be escalatory. It hasn’t been.” TOP QUOTES — Speaking of Israel's war in Gaza, Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto delivered a surprisingly balanced view, given the pro-Palestinian sentiment in his Muslim-majority country: “Both sides have legitimate concerns for their safety, for their right to exist and for their prosperity,” he said, before underscoring the need for a two-state solution. — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, referring to his conversation with the Chinese defense minister: “I told Minister Dong that if he calls me on an urgent matter, I will answer the phone. And I certainly hope he will do the same.” — Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara in his speech on Saturday warned: “Unfortunately, it must be said that the risk of multiple, simultaneous crises and accidental clashes across regions has increased significantly in recent years … We absolutely cannot be optimistic about the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region.” ON THE GROUND FORECAST: 31C/87F, showers. WHICH DELEGATION(S) … left their devices safe and sound at home and brought burner phones with them to Singapore? PLACE TO BE — THE LOBBY LOUNGE: Forget the meeting rooms and hallways of the Shangri-La — the hotel’s Lobby Lounge is the place to people-watch and rub shoulders with your fellow conference attendees. Everyone wants a seat behind that enticing red velvet rope. When Playbook arrived hoping for a cheeky cuppa after Lloyd Austin’s keynote Saturday morning, we were told the place was fully booked — and we’d be added to the fourth (!) waiting list of the day. Spoiler alert: We’re still waiting for that text to let us know our table is ready. BATTLE OF THE CUISINES: A fine array of victuals are on offer at the delegates’ lunch in the Line Restaurant throughout the conference, with a spread of dishes from all corners of the Asia-Pacific (as well as, incongruously, roast beef). The people have spoken: India may not have a big presence at the Shangri-La this year, but the line at the biryani/tandoori station knocked the others out of the park. Better not sneak in though. Playbook witnessed one non-badge-holder who managed to get into the restaurant being presented with a hefty bill for their lunch. SPOTTED: Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair getting back to nature, as he did a TV interview in the Garden Wing of the Shangri-La, surrounded by the lush green foliage of the tropics. SPOTTED: U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, en route to the Island Ballroom for Prabowo Subianto’s special address, intercepted by an enthusiastic young fan who told her he’d just graduated from university last week and asked for a photo. She graciously acquiesced, making his day. SPOTTED: The Pentagon’s Indo-Pacific czar Ely Ratner deep in conversation with the Financial Times’ intrepid U.S.-China correspondent Demetri Sevastopulo, ahead of Lloyd Austin’s speech in the plenary hall. OVERHEARD: A young Chinese journalist approaching a member of the U.S. Coast Guard in the Shangri-La lobby, attempting to ask a question. After an initial rejection, she pressed, saying: “I understand, but we’re Chinese media, we’re just trying to do our job. Could you just answer one question?” The answer? A cool “No.” Playbook hears the same Chinese state journalist had earlier tried to approach a member of the U.K. Navy for an interview, and was also rejected. AGENDA Agenda … App … Livestream. Highlights — 8:35 a.m. Fifth plenary session on China’s approach to global security, with Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun; Island Ballroom — 9:30 a.m. Sixth plenary session on connecting Indian Ocean and Pacific security with defense ministers Sutin Klungsang of Thailand, Judith Collins of New Zealand and Bill Blair of Canada; Island Ballroom — 11:30 a.m. Seventh plenary session on reimagining solutions for regional stability with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and defense ministers Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Bin Nordin of Malaysia and Ng Eng Hen of Singapore; Island Ballroom — 1 p.m. Ministerial roundtable (invitation only); Azalea I and II | 
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