Roslan Rahman | Afp | Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the world will face a “serious food crisis”, with Russia’s war in his country protracted, as he spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. Zelensky told delegates that his country was unable to export enough food due to Russia’s blockade of Black Sea ports, which prevented exports from being transported to other countries. “People will face an acute and severe food crisis and famine,” he told 575 delegates from 40 countries at the summit, Asia’s top defense conference. Ukraine, along with Russia, is one of the largest producers and exporters of wheat and other staple foods, such as other cereals and oils. “The food [crisis] touches Asia, Europe and Africa. Russia has blocked the Black Sea. Prices are rising. “Russia is violating international law,” Zelensky told a question-and-answer session after his speech.
Russia “struggles to reject” international law
Zelensky said Russia’s war in Ukraine posed a threat to the system of international law – beyond its repercussions on his country. Zelensky said Russia had launched a “disinformation campaign” and claimed that its war in Ukraine was “ostensibly something for NATO – about the West’s intention to move forward in some way in Europe”. “But in reality, Russia’s war against Ukraine is not just about Europe, but about world-important things,” he said. “The Russian leadership is struggling to discard all of humanity’s historic achievements, especially the system of international law,” Zelensky said, calling on countries to “break Russia’s ability” to block seas and freedom of navigation. “If it were not for international law, and the big fish ate the small fish and the small fish the shrimp, we would not have existed,” said Singaporean founder Lee Kuan Yew. Addressing the public from an unknown location in Kyiv, Zelensky said that Ukraine would “definitely win” this war started by Russia, in an occasionally passionate 20-minute speech, to which delegates responded with a long applause. The three-day security dialogue is being held for the first time after a two-year pause due to the pandemic.
