Putin berates US over sanctions ahead of G20 summit in Brisbane

President Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Friday of undermining the very trade institutions it created by imposing sanctions on Russia, a “mistake” he hoped would be overcome in the “final count”.

In an interview with Russian state news agency TASS before a meeting of the G20 major and developing economies, Putin said sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union on Russia over Ukraine harmed Russia, but also the global economy.

The Russian leader said the asset freezes, visa bans and measures preventing Russian companies accessing Western financial markets and technology went against international law because only the United Nations had the right to impose them.

They also went against trade agreements, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which the United States created, he said.

“The United States itself created that organisation at a certain point. Now it is crudely violating its principles,” he said. “I do hope ... that in the final count the awareness of this will prevail and bygones will be bygones.”

Putin said he would not bring up sanctions at the G20 meeting, which starts on Saturday in Australia, as “it’ll make no sense”.