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Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at Doha Forum, says Russia fuelling nuclear arms race
The Ukraine president also called on the energy-rich nation and others to increase their output of energy.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise video appearance on Saturday at Qatar’s Doha Forum, calling on the energy-rich nation and others to increase their output of energy "so everyone in Russia understands that no one can use energy as blackmail". Zelenskyy's call is significant as Qatar is a world leader in the export of natural gas.
Zelenskyy also called on the United Nations and world powers to come to his aid, as he has in a series of other addresses given around the world since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Comparing Russia’s destruction of the port city of Mariupol to the Syrian and Russian destruction wrought on the city of Aleppo in the Syrian war, he said, “They are destroying our ports... The absence of exports from Ukraine will deal a blow to countries worldwide.”
Lashing out at Russia for threatening (indirectly) the world with its nuclear weapons, Zelenskyy said, "They are bragging that they can destroy with nuclear weapons not only a certain country but the entire planet."
When Ukraine dismantled its nuclear stockpile in the 1990s it was given "security assurances from the most powerful countries in the world", including Russia, he said in comments translated into English for the conference.
"But these assurances did not become guarantees. And in fact, one of the countries supposed to give one of the greatest security promises started to work against Ukraine and this is the ultimate manifestation of injustice," Zelensky added on the 31st day of the Russian military assault against his country.
He also said Muslims in his country would have to fight during the upcoming holy fasting month of Ramzan. “We have to ensure this sacred month of Ramzan is not overshadowed by the misery of people in Ukraine,” he said.
Zelenskyy also said no country is insured against shocks from disruptions to food supply happening because of Russia's invasion of his country. Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain producers.
"The world's markets have not yet overcome from the repercussions of the pandemic, from the price shocks of food. No one is insured against these shocks and you cannot be insured if there is a physical scarcity of food," he said.
"Russian troops are covering fields in Ukraine for miles, they are exploding agrarian equipment."
The US and the European Union on Friday announced a move to further squeeze Russia economically — a partnership to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian energy and dry up the billions of dollars the Kremlin gets from the sale of fuel.
Germany’s economy minister said his country has forged contracts with new suppliers that will allow it to significantly reduce its reliance on Russian coal, gas and oil in the coming weeks.
The Russian military said 1,351 of its soldiers have died in Ukraine and 3,825 have been wounded, though it was not immediately clear if that included the separatists in the east or others not part of the Defense Ministry, such as the National Guard. Earlier this week, NATO estimated that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of fighting.
(With inputs from agencies)
