Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on Southeast Asian countries to urge Russia to continue its grain deal, which expires in a week. He did so at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
“I call on all ASEAN members to take all possible measures to prevent Russia from playing ‘hunger games’ (a reference to the books and films of the same name, ed.) with the world,” said Koeleba. The grain deal expires on November 19. Since August 1, the agreement has allowed the export of ten million tons of grain and other agricultural products. This alleviated the food crisis in the world as a result of the war in Ukraine.
In late October, Moscow suspended its cooperation with the grain deal after attacks on Russian naval ships in Russian-occupied Crimea. After an intervention by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia reported a day later that it was again cooperating in the implementation of the agreement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will also attend the Cambodia summit. However, he did not ask Koeleba to meet, as is customary in international diplomacy, Koeleba said.
Ukraine participates in ASEAN summit for the first time. “We will explore and exploit all possibilities to build a deeper relationship with ASEAN countries,” emphasized Koeleba, also with a view to new trade opportunities and food security.
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