G20 Summit: Volodymyr Zelensky tells world leaders “stop war now”

At the G20 summit in Bali, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged world leaders to put an immediate end to Russia’s war. Additionally, he urged for the renewal of a large grain export agreement that was about to expire.

Volodymyr Zelensky made an appearance in a video address to leaders gathered in Bali, Indonesia for the G20 conference,

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a G20 member, declined to attend and sent Sergei Lavrov, his foreign minister, in his place.

In his speech, first reported by AFP, Mr Zelensky said: “I am convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped.”

He suggested several strategies, such as maintaining food and nuclear safety, ceasing hostilities, and preventing escalation.

He used the term “G19” repeatedly, explicitly excluding Russia.

The extension of the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was reached between the United Nations and Russia in July, was one of his main requests.

It has made sure that food exports that Russian vessels had stopped at Ukrainian ports may leave.

According to the UN, 10 million tonnes of grain and other food have been effectively shipped since the agreement started, averting a worldwide food crisis.

“The right to food is a fundamental right of every person in the world,” he said, proposing to expand the deal to other ports in the Mykolaiv region.

On Saturday, Russia said that no agreement to extend the agreement had yet been reached.

It has demanded that Western sanctions be eased in exchange for enabling Ukraine to export grain so that Russia can freely export its own food and fertilisers to international markets.

In addition, Zelensky mentioned that Russia was destroying vital Ukrainian energy infrastructure as winter approached in an effort to “transform the cold into a weapon against millions of people.”

He requested that Ukraine’s partners provide greater military support as well as price caps on Russian energy exports so that Russia cannot profit from them.

“If Russia is trying to deprive Ukraine, Europe and all energy consumers in the world of predictability and price stability, the answer to this should be a forced limitation of export prices for Russia… That’s fair. If you take something away, the world has the right to take from you,” he said.

The largest gas pipeline from Russia to Europe, Nord Stream 1, has been shut off, and the start of a second conduit has been postponed. By using less Russian gas and oil, the West has likewise tried to wean itself off Russian energy.