The prime minister will use the summit to encourage the world’s most powerful economies to minimize their reliance on Russian exports, as well as to encourage others to do the same.
As he approached Vladimir Putin’s officials at the G20 meeting, Rishi Sunak declared that Russia must “get out of Ukraine and end this barbarous war.”
In the first session on Tuesday, the prime minister criticized the absence of the Russian president from the discussions on the Indonesian island of Bali.
“It is noteworthy that Putin felt unable to join us here,” he stated. “Possibly if he had, we could proceed with resolving the situation.
“Because Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine and cessation of this brutal conflict would have the greatest possible impact.
“The United Kingdom rejects this aggression. We will support Ukraine for as long as necessary.”
Mr. Putin chose not to attend the discussions, with the Kremlin citing scheduling issues as the reason; yet, according to observers, officials are attempting to shield him from condemnation by world leaders.
Mr. Sunak reprimanded Russia by stating that “countries should not invade their neighbors.”
“It’s straightforward – governments shouldn’t invade their neighbors, they shouldn’t assault civilian infrastructure and civilian populations, and they shouldn’t threaten nuclear escalation,” he said.
Certainly, we can all agree on these points.
In Bali, the prime minister met with the leaders of the 19 largest economies in the world. This was the first time in the group’s 15-year history that a summit was held under the shadow of a major European war initiated by one of its members.
“Chorus of Putin opponents”
Mr. Sunak will use the summit to encourage the world’s most powerful economies to reduce their reliance on Russian exports and to encourage others to do the same.
He will also reaffirm the United Kingdom’s financial support for Ukraine, stating that he pledged £4.1 billion in help as chancellor.
This included $2.3 billion in military aid, and Mr. Sunak has pledged to spend the same amount next year.
Before the conference, he declared, “Putin and his proxies will never have a legitimate seat at the table until they halt their illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
Continued: “At the G20, the Putin dictatorship, which has suppressed domestic criticism and manufactured a veneer of legitimacy through violence, will hear the chorus of global resistance to its acts.”
Before roughly nine months ago, Russia invaded Ukraine, leaving the rest of the world trying to deal with the repercussions, including soaring food and oil costs.
Many nations have remained steadfast, providing weaponry and equipment to Ukraine while placing different sanctions on Russia.
Mr. Putin sent Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, in his place to the negotiations.
According to Indonesian officials, he was brought to the hospital upon his arrival at the negotiations due to a heart problem; however, the Russian foreign ministry denounced the reports as “false news.
The United Kingdom introduced legislation last week prohibiting countries from using its maritime services to transport Russian oil unless it is purchased below a price cap. Number 10 described this as a “hugely influential measure” given that the United Kingdom provides approximately 60% of global maritime insurance.
