Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine calls on ASEAN to stop Russia's 'hunger games' over grain deal

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to take action to stop Russia from furthering its “hunger games” on the world over the UN-brokered grain deal. The deal is also set to expire this week.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Cambodia Saturday, Kuleba called on the bloc to take all possible measures in preventing Russia from playing “hunger games” with the world over the grain deal. The deal, overseen by the United Nations, is set to expire on November 19, if either Russia or Ukraine object to the extension.

“I call on all ASEAN members to take every method possible to stop Russia from playing hunger games with the world,” said Kuleba. “It’s not enough just to keep Russia on board. It’s also important to make sure that Russian inspectors who participate in this initiative, that they act in good faith and that they inspect ships without any artificial delays.”

Kuleba added that countries in Africa and Asia are affected by the delayed shipments. Ukraine’s top diplomat added that he discussed with ASEAN leaders how they could support Kyiv and expressed that adopting a stance of neutrality and not condemning Russia was against their interests.

“The worst thing that a country can do is nothing,” said Kuleba.

This marks Ukraine’s participation in the ASEAN and East Asia Summits for the first time. Aside from the nine countries under the bloc and Ukraine, the leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea are also attending. Kuleba’s Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov was also attending the conference.

During the summit last week, Ukraine signed a peace treaty with ASEAN in an effort by Kyiv to shore up more international support. Kuleba signed the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a largely symbolic move that would commit its signatories to “mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations.”

Eight of the 10 ASEAN nations voted in favor of a UN resolution that condemned Russia’s aggression. Vietnam and Laos abstained from voting due to their ties with Russia.