PHNOM PENH - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday that the “war goes on” after the success of retaking the city of Kherson from Russian invaders.

The Ukrainian national anthem rang out in Kherson after Moscow pulled its forces out of the city – the first major urban hub to fall after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February.

Speaking at a South-east Asian summit in Cambodia, Mr Kuleba said the fight to liberate the country would carry on.

“We are winning battles on the ground. But the war continues,” he told reporters in Phnom Penh.

He also urged South-east Asian countries to take all measures possible to ensure Russia did not play hunger games regarding shipments of Ukrainian grain to the global market.

Mr Kuleba said his counterpart Sergei Lavrov had not requested a meeting with him. He also said Russia must approach all negotiations in good faith.

Earlier, Mr Kuleba thanked Australia for its support – US$440 million (S$604 million) of mostly military assistance – during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the summit.

“I understand that everyone wants this war to end as soon as possible. We are definitely the ones who want that more than anyone else,” he said during the meeting with Mr Albanese.

“But as long as the war continues, and we see Russia mobilising more conscripts and bringing more weapons to Ukraine, of course we will continue to count on your continued support.”

Australia in October pledged an extra 30 Bushmaster armoured vehicles to Ukraine and allocated 70 Australian defence personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers in Britain.

Mr Albanese said the ongoing “targeting of Ukraine civilians by Putin’s forces was reprehensible”. AFP, REUTERS