Ukraine’s invasion threatens producing starvation in other countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned the Italian parliament on Tuesday, pleading for more assistance to battle the invaders.
Zelenskiy stated via a video hookup to Western parliamentarians that his people were clinging to survival as the Russian force destroyed Ukrainian cities and slaughtered civilians.
“Ukraine is the gates of Europe for Russian forces, where they want to burst in, but barbarism must not be allowed to pass,” he said, adding that the war’s ramifications were already being felt around the world.
“The most dreadful thing will be the impending famine in several countries. Ukraine has historically been a major food exporter, but how can we seed (crops) when Russian artillery is firing at us?”
In recent years, countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, and others have grown to rely on Ukrainian wheat, and the war has driven up wheat prices by 50% in the previous month.
The assault, which is Russia’s worst strike on a European state since World War Two, is being described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from “Nazis.” That, according to the West, is an excuse for an unjustified war of aggression.
In response to Zelenskiy, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi stated Ukraine had shown “heroic” resistance to the Russian invasion and promised sustained humanitarian help as well as military assistance to refugees escaping the battle.
“The Russian government’s arrogance collided with the dignity of the Ukrainian people, who were able to restrain Moscow’s expansionist ambitions and impose a massive cost on the invading army,” Draghi told parliament.
Ukraine has long expressed a desire to enhance connections with the West by stating its ambition to join the European Union.
Draghi warned MPs that the process would take a long time because of the numerous reforms required to properly integrate with the 27-nation union.
“I’d want to assure President Zelenskiy that Italy stands by Ukraine in this process. Italy wants Ukraine to become a member of the European Union “Draghi stated the following.
