Ukrainian president calls for preemptive diplomacy at Shangri-La security forum

SINGAPORE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for preemptive action to “forestall violence” and calm regional tensions, citing Russia’s invasion of his country as an example of what can happen anywhere in the world.

Speaking during an unprecedented address delivered via video link at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore , Zelenskyy said the world must push for diplomatic solutions to support countries that are in need of help.

“We must not leave them behind at the mercy of another country which is more powerful in financial terms, in territorial terms and in terms of equipment,” he said in response to a question about what Taiwan can do in the face of military and political pressure from China . “No one benefits from [open conflict}, apart from certain political leaders, who are not content with the present level of their ambitions. Therefore, they keep growing their appetites and their ambitions.”

Zelenskyy also spoke of the importance of international law for smaller states, quoting the words of Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew: “If there had been no international law, and the big fish ate the small fish and the small fish ate shrimps, we would not have existed.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses participants at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit via a video link on June 11, 2022. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images)

Zelenskyy cited the late leader while accusing the Russian leadership under President Vladimir Putin of striving to dismantle international law by invading Ukraine. The Kremlin seeks to make it “impossible for a neighboring country, which it regards solely as its colony, to be able to exist freely and independently,” he said.

He charged Russians with systematically looting the resources of occupied Ukrainian territory by stripping it of everything from industrial machinery to crops and cars, and he blamed global food insecurity on Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

The blockade has left Ukraine unable to export its grain harvest, and Zelenskyy warned the world will potentially face an acute food crisis and famine in many Asian and African countries, possibly leading to political chaos.

Mike Yeo is the Asia correspondent for Defense News.

新加坡——乌克兰总统泽连斯基呼吁采取先发制人的行动来“阻止暴力”并缓和地区紧张局势，他以俄罗斯入侵乌克兰为例，说明这种情况可能在世界任何地方发生。

泽连斯基在新加坡香格里拉对话安全论坛上通过视频连线发表了史无前例的讲话，他表示，世界必须推动通过外交途径解决需要帮助的国家。

“我们不能让台湾落入一个在经济、领土和装备方面都更强大的国家手中，”他在回答有关台湾面对来自中国的军事和政治压力能做些什么的问题时说道。“除了某些不满足于现状的政治领导人之外，没有人会从（公开冲突）中获益。因此，他们不断膨胀自己的野心和欲望。”

泽连斯基还谈到了国际法对小国的重要性，并引用了新加坡第一任总理李光耀的话：“如果没有国际法，大鱼吃小鱼，小鱼吃虾，我们就不会存在。”

2022年6月11日，乌克兰总统泽连斯基通过视频连线在香格里拉对话峰会上发表讲话。（图片来源：Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images）

泽连斯基援引已故领导人的话，指责普京总统领导下的俄罗斯政府入侵乌克兰，企图破坏国际法。他说，克里姆林宫试图让“一个它视为殖民地的邻国，无法自由独立地存在”。

他指责俄罗斯人有组织地掠夺被占领的乌克兰领土上的资源，从工业机械到农作物和汽车，无一幸免；他还将全球粮食不安全归咎于俄罗斯封锁乌克兰在黑海的港口。

封锁导致乌克兰无法出口粮食，泽连斯基警告说，世界许多亚洲和非洲国家可能面临严重的粮食危机和饥荒，这可能会导致政治混乱。

Mike Yeo 是《防务新闻》的亚洲通讯员。