From A Secret Place, Zelensky Virtual Speech: Quoting Ex PM Lee And An NFT T-Shirt By A Singaporean Teen

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. (Source: president.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is tireless in seeking support so that the world can take part in helping to resolve his country's conflict with Russia. And Zelensky knows what to look like when speaking.

Saturday 11 June, Zelensky gave a virtual speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue event in Singapore. There were 500 delegates from 40 countries as quoted from Channel News Asia.

Zelensky spoke through an interpreter from a secret location in Kyiv as the war entered its fourth month. Here he quotes the wise words of former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Zelensky even sported a non-fungible token (NFT) design that was featured on the T-shirt Zelensky wore during his virtual speech. The work was made by Ava Soh, a 16-year-old Singapore citizen.

"Please remember that this support and concern is not only for Ukraine but also for you, to ensure that our future and yours are safe," Zelensky said.

"So let's save the whole world from going back to a time when everything was decided based on the so-called right of power," he said.

Zelensky said the war concerned not only Europe but involved "globally important matters".

Mr. Zelenskyy quoted former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew when he said that without international law, "big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp, (so) we would not exist".

"These are words of wisdom from Lee Kuan Yew, a leader who is sharp enough to see a clear rationale for many things in the process, and who knows exactly what is worth," he said.

Beyond geopolitics, Zelensky warned of the war's impact on food security, saying the Russian blockade had prevented Ukraine from exporting "food items that are sorely missing on global markets".

"The world will face an acute and severe food crisis and hunger in many Asian and African countries," he added.

The war has contributed to rising fuel prices and caused supply chain shocks around the world, as countries grapple with inflationary pressures.

"Food shortages will inevitably lead to political turmoil, which could result in the downfall of many governments and the ousting of any politician," Zelensky said.

"This looming threat is clearly visible by simply looking at the skyrocketing prices of basic products on world markets and in certain countries. This is a direct consequence of the actions of the Russian state."