Zelensky tells G20 ‘now is the time’ to end Russia’s war, Zelensky also supported the US-led effort to put a price restriction on Russian oil exports, saying it was necessary “to stop the exploitation of energy resources as weapons.” “If Russia is attempting to deny predictability and price stability to consumers of energy in Ukraine, Europe, and around the world, the solution to this should be a mandatory cap of export prices for Russia.”
Zelensky tells G20 ‘now is the time’ to end Russia’s war
The moment has come to put an end to Russia’s “destructive” war and “save thousands of lives,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to the G20 meeting on Tuesday in Bali. According to a speech acquired by AFP, he stated, “I am confident this is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be ended.” It will spare many lives.
Zelensky addressed world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Vice President Joe Biden, while donning his now-famous army green T-shirt and speaking in Ukrainian. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not present because he avoided the meeting and instead sent Sergei Lavrov, his foreign minister, to Bali.
Zelensky slammed “the crazy threats of nuclear weapons that Russian officials resort to”, referring to dark rhetoric by Putin that has made even Beijing uncomfortable. “There are and cannot be any excuses for nuclear blackmail,” he added, pointedly thanking the “G19” — excluding Russia — for “making this clear”.
The Ukrainian leader also called for the expansion and indefinite extension of a grain deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that will expire on November 19. Ukraine is one of the world’s top grain producers, and the Russian invasion had blocked 20 million tonnes of grain in its ports until the deal was reached in July.
“I believe our export grain initiative deserves an indefinite extension — no matter when the war ends,” Zelensky said, urging its expansion to other ports. The Ukrainian leader also accused Russia of an “attempt to turn the cold into a weapon” with a campaign of strikes against key infrastructure ahead of the coming winter.
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