Zelensky urges tougher Russia sanctions, invokes LKY in address

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday reiterated his calls to tighten sanctions on Russia and President Vladimir Putin as he addressed world leaders and senior defence officials at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Speaking in his native Ukrainian language from a "secret location" in capital city Kyiv, he said the Russian army had "killed dozens of thousands of our people and deported thousands more to its territory".

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24 in what it calls a "special military operation" to demilitarise its neighbour.

Wearing a black T-shirt with the image of a girl spray-painting a Ukrainian flag of blue and yellow - which he revealed to be a made-in-Singapore print - Mr Zelensky also invoked Singapore's founding prime minister in his virtual address, which lasted a little over 10 minutes.

"If there had been no international law and the big fish ate a small fish and a small fish ate shrimps... we would not have existed.

"These are wise words of Lee Kuan Yew, the leader who was perspicacious enough to see the clear reasons of many things and resources, and who knew exactly what is of value," he said.

In a speech in 1966, Mr Lee had quoted a Chinese proverb, "Big fish eat small fish; small fish eat shrimps", analogising that the young nation of Singapore needed to build up its defences like a shrimp with a poisonous sting to survive alongside neighbouring countries (small fish) and world powers (big fish).

Mr Zelensky also stressed the larger consequences of Russia's blocking of ports in the Black Sea and Azov Sea.

"If due to Russian blockades we are unable to export our foodstuffs, the world will face an acute and severe food crisis and famine in many countries in Asia and Africa. The shortage of foodstuff will inexorably lead to political chaos, which can result in the falling of many governments and the ousting of many politicians," he warned.

Before the war, Ukraine was the fourth-largest wheat and corn exporter in the world.

Mr Zelensky's appeal to world defence leaders at the summit was met with "mixed feelings" by at least one attendee.

Dr Joel Ng, an S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies research fellow at the Centre for Multilateralism Studies, said: "To a degree, what is happening in Ukraine affects us, but it is not an essential issue of Asian security.

"But in terms of the principles of fighting for real space order, deterring aggression, not letting the powerful bully weak states, that is an important message that we need to hear."