Zelensky seeks to increase oil production.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a video presentation Saturday at the Doha Forum in Qatar, urging the energy-rich nation and others to increase their output to replace Russian supplies.
Volodymyr Zelensky called on the United Nations and world powers to come to his aid, as he has done in a number of other speeches around the world since the start of the war on 24 February.
He compared the Russian destruction of the port city of Mariupol to the Syrian and Russian destruction of the Syrian city of Aleppo.
“They are destroying our ports,” Zelensky said. “The lack of exports from Ukraine will deal a blow to countries around the world,” he added.
The loss of Ukrainian wheat has already worried Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, which relies on those exports.
Zelensky called on countries to increase their energy exports – something particularly important as Qatar is a world leader in natural gas exports.
Also in attendance was Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, chief diplomat for the world’s largest oil exporter.
Saudi Arabia has so far said it will stick to an OPEC + production plan that the cartel struck with Russia and other manufacturers. The kingdom also said it would not be responsible for the higher prices as it deals with attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels amid its years-long war in the Arab world’s poorest country.