Russia fuelling nuclear arms race, says Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy also called on Qatar to increase production of natural gas to counter Russian efforts to use energy as a weapon.

Russia’s “bragging” about its nuclear weapons is fuelling a dangerous arms race, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Doha Forum on Saturday.

Mr. Zelenskyy also called on Qatar, which organises the annual meeting of international political and business leaders, to increase production of natural gas to counter Russian efforts to use energy as a weapon.

“They are bragging that they can destroy with nuclear weapons not only a certain country but the entire planet,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in a live video message to the forum on the 31st day of the Russian military assault against his country.

When Ukraine dismantled its nuclear stockpile in the 1990s it was given “security assurances from the most powerful countries in the world”, including Russia, he said in comments translated into English for the conference.

“But these assurances did not become guarantees. And in fact, one of the countries supposed to give one of the greatest security promise started to work against Ukraine and this is the ultimate manifestation of injustice,” Mr. Zelenskyy added.

Mr. Zelenskyy also called on Qatar, one of the world’s top three producers of natural gas, to increase production because of the conflict.