World is just steps away from political chaos – Zelensky at Chatham House

KYIV. May 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The world is a few steps away from political chaos in dozens of states, which could be the result of food and inflation crises, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said, speaking at the Chatham House analytical center on Friday.

"By blackmailing Europe to launch the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline last year, Russia provoked a price crisis in Europe. Gazprom deliberately did not provide the necessary amount of gas to the market to cover the deficit, and as a result of all this, gas prices in Europe reached highs, moreover, a historical maximum. This hit all Europeans without exception," he said, recalling that "now, as an element of a full-scale war against Ukraine, Russia is blocking our ports that it has seized."

According to Zelensky, "the global market remains without sufficient supplies from Ukraine of some key types of products. This is what we have, what is the priority for the world: grain, sunflower oil, corn, and other agricultural products."

"What consequences do we see? In some countries, there is a shortage of sunflower oil. In other countries, the agricultural production chains associated with our supplies are slowing down. In other countries, there is also a shortage of basic food products," he said.

"All this together creates pressure on prices. In North Africa, the Middle East, in Asia. And then it will affect other regions of the world. And the poorest will suffer. We are sure that the middle class will also suffer. Obviously, the political consequences of this can be dangerous. Why I say: political chaos is one of the components of food security," the president said.