Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky has told leaders at the G20 Bali Summit that he wants the war Russia is waging against them to end now.
Mr. Zelensky appeared in a video call to world leaders who had gathered in the Indonesian island of Bali for a G20 summit, where he also called for an extension of a significant grain export deal that is set to expire.
“I am convinced that now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped,” Mr. Zelensky said.
During his speech, Mr. Zelensky called the world leaders G19, presumably excluding Russia, which had been represented by foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after Putin refused to attend.
Aside from call for an end to the war, Zelensky also called for an extension of the Black Sea grain deal struck in July between the UN and Russia. The deal ensures that food exports that Russia is blocking at Ukranian ports can be shipped out. The deal helped export 10 million tons of grain and other foods from Ukraine to the world, helping stave off a global food crisis and is set to expire in November 19, 2022.
Mr. Zelensky asked for an indefinite extension of the deal.
“The right to food is a fundamental right of every person in the world,” he said, asking for its extension indefinitely no matter when the war ends.
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Russia invaded Ukraine On February 2022 in an escalation of an ongoing Russo-Ukrainian that started in 2014 with the capture of Crimea by Russia from Ukraine. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and led to a large refugee crisis in Europe, the largest since World War 2, with approximately 8 million people displaced in Ukraine.
The war has resulted in global food shortages, as well as a steep rise in gas prices, resulting in high inflation in many parts of the world.