No sanctions? There are many ways to support Ukraine, says its foreign minister

PHNOM PENH - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday that there were many ways for countries to support Ukraine in repelling the ongoing Russian invasion, even if not every Asean country supports sanctions against Russia.

“Sanctions work,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, while acknowledging that some countries may avoid it for political reasons.

“There are various forms on how to support Ukraine. The worst thing that a country can do is to do nothing. You can always find a way to express your support.”

He called Asean’s approval of Ukraine to be a party to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South-east Asia on Thursday “a political message of support by Asean countries to Ukraine”.

This Asean peace treaty, which Russia is also a signatory of, is a prerequisite for more formal partnerships with the regional bloc.

Ukraine, which applied to join this treaty a few years ago, is looking to deepen partnerships with Asean countries through trade and other areas, Mr Kuleba said.

While Asean issued a statement of concern about the invasion in February, the stances of member states differed according to their ties with Russia.

Singapore has imposed sanctions on Russia. But Vietnam, Laos and Thailand abstained from a United Nations General Assembly vote in October that condemned Russia for trying to annex parts of Ukraine.

Ukraine is taking part in the Asean Summit for the first time this year and Mr Kuleba has used this occasion to hold bilateral talks with his regional counterparts, including those from Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The topics discussed included food security and trade, he said.

Asked by The Straits Times about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s pledge on Nov 1 that Ukraine would remain a guarantor of food security for Asean countries, the foreign minister said his country was committed to keeping exports of agricultural produce flowing despite the difficulties it was facing.

“Our proposal to countries in Africa and Asia is to identify their needs to us, and we will seek ways to deliver this grain… to these markets,” he said.

The ongoing war has raised concerns about global food security, as Ukraine and Russia are among the biggest exporters of grain. Spikes in food and energy prices are also throttling the fragile post-pandemic recovery in South-east Asia.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation warned in October that the poor will be hit the hardest by domestic food price inflation, with most countries experiencing retail food price increases of 10 per cent to 30 per cent on an annualised basis.

Securing food and fertiliser supply chains was also one of Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s top agendas when he visited Ukraine and Russia in June.

Mr Kuleba said that for supplies to move without disruption, Russia has to play its part in a Ukrainian Black Sea grain deal, which could expire on Nov 19 if Russia objects to its renewal.

He alleged that Russian inspectors were resorting to “quiet sabotage” by holding up deliveries.

“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 act in good faith and that they inspect ships without any artificial delays,” he said.

“I call on all Asean members to take every method possible to stop Russia from playing ‘hunger games’ with the world.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is attending this summit but has not requested a meeting with Mr Kuleba, the latter said.

“If he does, we will thoroughly consider his request,” Mr Kuleba added.