Ukraine foreign minister accuses Russia of playing ‘hunger games’ with world 1 photo International News: AFPBB News

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba on Saturday accused the Southeast Asian nation of playing a “hunger game” with the world by suspending shipments of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products while accusing the country of his county against Russia. sought political and material support in the fighting.

Kleba told reporters at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit that the world would oppose Russia to extend the deal to allow Ukraine to export grain and fertilizers, which expires on November 19. Ukrainian products are important, he said. in Africa and Asia.

But Kleba not only continued the deal, but also accused Russian inspectors of engaging in “silent sabotage”, saying they were deliberately holding back to allow shipments. rice field.

Russia “needs not only to remain part of the initiative, but also to act in good faith with its inspectors and to avoid measures and measures that hinder and create obstacles to the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to the world market. I have to tell you,” he said.

“Russia should stop playing Hunger Games with the world.”

The country of Kureba was invited to the ASEAN summit for the first time this year and signed a peace deal with the group, which has a combined population of about 700 million people.

Many member states have so far reserved their stances against aggression, condemning the war but generally trying to avoid imposing blame. Vietnam and Laos abstained in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression.

Kleba said the signing of the agreement with ASEAN was a strong message of support from the group, but added that “the litmus test is … a vote in the UN General Assembly for resolutions related to Ukraine.”

ASEAN is made up of Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, and Myanmar, but Myanmar’s leaders said the ongoing violence in the country and its lack of are not allowed to participate in Efforts to implement the group’s peace plan following the 2021 military takeover.

Kureba said he would use the Phnom Penh Summit as an opportunity for an “Asia Tour”, meeting with ASEAN member states and non-member countries such as Australia to find out more about what was destroyed in the fighting, such as transformers and generators, to restore what had been destroyed in the fighting. said it was seeking more political and material aid. – and improving food security and trade.

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He addressed the day President Joe Biden arrived at the meeting and met with Secretary of State Anthony Brinken on the sidelines.

Blinken praised Kleva for continuing to call for help, and assured that “support is strong around the world” for Ukraine.

Kleba said it looked “symbolic” to sign a strategic partnership with the US just one year before the deal with ASEAN.

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“This shows how far we’ve come after solidifying our status as a country belonging to the West,” Kreba said, according to a copy of the remarks provided by the US State Department.

At an earlier press conference, Mr. Kuleba said he had hoped to meet with China’s foreign minister, but was told he would not attend. Kleba said Ukraine is maintaining dialogue with China and is trying to force Beijing to “use its influence over Russia to stop the war.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was also present at the ASEAN meeting, and Cuerva said he would be happy to consider the request if Lavrov asked for a meeting, but so far Russia has been unable to hold the meeting. “We are using it as a smoke screen against continued aggression,” he said. ground. “

“Ukraine will win. It’s a question of time and price,” he said. “Of course, part of it has been achieved militarily, but part of Ukraine will be achieved diplomatically.”

But at any meeting, he said, “Ukraine’s territorial integrity is non-negotiable.”

In brief opening remarks as he sat down to meet with ASEAN leaders, Biden said, “Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine and our commitment to addressing the global repercussions of the war, including in Southeast Asia. He said he was ready to discuss the efforts of

Earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres made clear to the summit participants the importance of establishing conditions for the resumption of dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, stating that “peace prevails”. We will gradually begin to consider what the future holds,” he said.

“Not any kind of peace,” Guterres said. “Peace based on the values ​​of the Charter of the United Nations and peace based on international law.

In other comments, Guterres said the world had failed Myanmar and said he hoped ASEAN could pressure member states to adhere to a peace plan for next year.

ASEAN leaders said on Friday to develop measurable indicators and a timeline for Myanmar to implement the so-called five-point consensus for peace when Indonesia takes over the group’s rotating chairmanship in 2023. They agreed to a plan to hold Indonesia primarily responsible.

Indonesia has been one of the most outspoken ASEAN countries about the need to do more to address the situation in Myanmar, and Mr Guterres told reporters, “The Indonesian government has shown a willingness to We will be able to advance the agenda in a certain way,” he said.

ASEAN’s decision, announced on Friday, includes seeking help from the United Nations and other “external partners” to support the group’s efforts. Guterres said he hoped Noreen Hayser, the UN special envoy for Myanmar, would work closely with ASEAN officials to put an end to the country’s “dramatic human rights violations.”

“When it comes to Myanmar, everyone is failing,” Guterres said. “The international community as a whole has failed, and the United Nations is part of the international community.”

ASEAN’s peace plan calls for an immediate cessation of violence, dialogue between all parties, mediation by ASEAN envoys, provision of humanitarian aid, and visits to Myanmar by envoys to meet with all sides.

Myanmar’s military-led government initially agreed to the plan but has made little effort to implement it.