Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Southeast Asian countries for political and material support in his country’s fight against Russia, accusing Moscow on Saturday of playing “hunger games” with the world by delaying deliveries of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitrii Kuleba has called on Southeast Asian countries for political and material support in the struggle of his county against Russiaaccusing Moscow on Saturday of “hunger games” with the world, delaying the supply of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products.
Kuleba told journalists on the sidelines of the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that with a a deal that allows Ukraine to export grain and fertilizers, which expire on November 19, the world had to put pressure on Russia not to object to the extension, saying that Ukrainian products are crucial in Africa and Asia.
Still, Kuleba didn’t just go ahead with the deal, accusing Russian inspectors of “quiet sabotage,” saying they were deliberately slow to allow shipments.
Not only should Russia “remain part of the initiative, it should also instruct its inspectors to act in good faith and avoid any measures, any steps that create obstacles and hinder the export of Ukrainian agricultural goods to the world market,” he said.
“Russia must — must — stop playing hunger games with the world.”
The country of Kuleba was invited to the ASEAN summit for the first time this year signed a peace agreement with a group of peoples with a total population of about 700 million people.
Many member states have so far been reserved about the invasion, condemning the war but generally trying to avoid assigning blame. Eight of the 10 ASEAN countries did vote in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression, while Vietnam and Laos abstained.
Kuleba said the signing of the agreement with ASEAN was a strong signal of support from the group, but added that “the litmus test is … voting in the UN General Assembly for resolutions concerning Ukraine.”
ASEAN is made up of Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and Myanmar, but Myanmar’s leaders are not allowed to attend the current meetings due to violence continues in the country and the lack of efforts to implement the group’s peace plan after a military takeover in 2021.
Kuleba said he was using the Phnom Penh summit as an “Asian tour”, meeting with ASEAN members and non-members such as Australia to ask for more political support, material aid – such as transformers and generators to repair those destroyed during the fighting – and improved food security. security and trade.
He spoke on the day US President Joe Biden arrived for talks and was scheduled to meet Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on the sidelines.
He said he had hoped to meet the Chinese foreign minister but was told he would not be there. Kuleba added that Ukraine is in dialogue with China to push Beijing to “use leverage on Russia to force them to stop the war.” »
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also attended the ASEAN meetings, and Cuelba said that if Lavrov had asked to meet with him, he would have been willing to consider the request, but accused Russia of using the talks as “a smokescreen for its continued aggression against the country “. land”.
“Ukraine will win, it’s just a matter of time and price,” he said. “And yes, some successes are being achieved militarily, but some of Ukraine’s successes will be achieved diplomatically.”
But, he said, “territorial integrity of Ukraine is not something that can be discussed” in any negotiations.
In brief opening remarks as he sat down to meet ASEAN leaders, Biden said he was ready to discuss with them “Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and our efforts to deal with the global consequences of the war, including in Southeast Asia.”
Earlier, UN Secretary General António Guterres said that he made it clear to the participants of the summit that it is important to create conditions for the resumption of dialogue between Ukraine and Russia and “gradually start looking towards a future where peace will prevail”.
“Not just any peace,” Guterres said. “Peace based on the values of the UN Charter and peace based on international law.
In other comments, Guterres said the world had failed Myanmar and expressed hope that ASEAN could force the member country to comply with its peace plan within the next year.
ASEAN leaders agreed on the plan on Friday it largely puts the onus on Indonesia, when it takes over as chair of the group in 2023, to develop measurable indicators and a timetable for Myanmar to implement the so-called Five-Point Consensus for Peace.
Indonesia has been one of the ASEAN countries most outspoken about the need to do more to address the situation in Myanmar, and Guterres told reporters he felt “the Indonesian government will be able to move the agenda forward in a positive way.”
ASEAN’s decision, announced on Friday, includes a request from the UN and other “external partners” to help support the group’s efforts. Guterres expressed hope that UN Special Envoy for Myanmar Nolin Heiser will work closely with his ASEAN counterpart to end “gross human rights violations” in the country.
“Everyone has failed on Myanmar,” Guterres said. “The international community as a whole has failed, and the UN is part of the international community.”
The ASEAN peace plan calls for an immediate end to violence, dialogue between all parties, mediation by the ASEAN Special Representative, humanitarian assistance and a visit by a special envoy to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
Myanmar’s military government initially agreed to the plan, but made little effort to implement it.
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Growth was reported from Bangkok.
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