Advertisement
Advertisement
Ukraine war
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
The G20 meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 18, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war: China backs Russia to stay in G20 despite invasion, says nobody has right to remove it

  • The US and Western allies are assessing if Russia should remain in the Group of 20 major economies following its invasion of Ukraine; Beijing says it should
  • ‘No member has the right to remove another country … The G20 should implement real multilateralism, strengthen unity and cooperation,’ Wang Wenbin said
Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia later this year and received valuable backing from Beijing on Wednesday in a resistance to suggestions by some members that Russia could be barred from the group.

The United States and its Western allies are assessing whether Russia should remain within the Group of 20 major economies following its invasion of Ukraine, sources involved in the discussions told Reuters.

But any move to exclude Russia would probably be vetoed by others in the group, raising the prospect of some countries skipping G20 meetings, the sources said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said no G20 member has the right to oust another from the group. Photo: Reuters

“It will depend on many, many things, including the Covid situation, which is getting better. So far, his intention is … he wants to,” Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva told a news conference.

Asked about suggestions Russia could be kicked out of the G20, she said it was a forum to discuss economic issues and not a crisis like Ukraine. “Of course expulsion of Russia from this kind of forum will not help these economic problems to be resolved. On the contrary, without Russia it would be difficult to do so.”

China, which has not condemned Russia’s invasion and criticised Western sanctions, defended Moscow on Wednesday, calling Russia an “important member” of the G20.

01:51

China sends Ukraine humanitarian aid, not weapons, says China’s ambassador to the US

China sends Ukraine humanitarian aid, not weapons, says China’s ambassador to the US

The G20 is a group that needs to find answers to critical issues, such as economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

“No member has the right to remove another country as a member. The G20 should implement real multilateralism, strengthen unity and cooperation,” he told a news briefing.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry declined to comment on calls for Russia to be excluded from the G20. Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, says it is carrying out “a special military operation” to disarm its neighbour and replace its pro-Western leadership. Its onslaught has wrought massive destruction and many civilian deaths.

A cloud of smoke rises after an explosion in Lviv, western Ukraine, on March 18, 2022. Photo: AP

Busy with something else

Russia is facing an onslaught of international sanctions led by Western countries aiming at isolating it from the global economy, including shutting it out of the Swift global bank messaging system and restricting dealings by its central bank.

On Tuesday, Poland said it had suggested to US commerce officials that it replace Russia within the G20 group and that the suggestion had received a “positive response”.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said G20 members would have to decide but the issue was not a priority now.

Ukraine: cracks emerge in EU’s push for China to influence Russia

“When it comes to the question of how to proceed with the WTO (World Trade Organization) and the G20, it is imperative to discuss this question with the countries that are involved and not to decide individually,” Scholz said.

“It is quite clear that we are busy with something else than coming together in such meetings. We urgently need a ceasefire.”

Russia’s participation in the G20 is almost certain to be discussed on Thursday, when US President Joe Biden meets allies in Brussels. “We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Lyudmila Vorobieva said Putin’s attendance at November’s G20 summit ‘will depend on many, many things’. Photo: Reuters

A European Union source separately confirmed the discussions about Russia’s status at G20 meetings.

“It has been made very clear to Indonesia that Russia’s presence at forthcoming ministerial meetings would be highly problematic for European countries,” said the source, adding there was, however, no clear process for excluding a country.

Indonesia’s deputy central bank Governor, Dody Budi Waluyo, said on Monday Jakarta’s position was one of neutrality and it would use its G20 leadership to try to resolve problems, but Russia had a “strong commitment” to attend and other members could not forbid it from doing so.

11