Ukraine says G-20 statement on Russian war ‘nothing to be proud of’

TOPSHOT – Ukrainian cadets attend a ceremony for taking the military oath at The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, in Kyiv, on September 8, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More than 300 cadets took the oath of enlistment. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)
| Photo Credit: ROMAN PILIPEY

Kyiv on September 9 criticised the G20 leaders’ statement on the Russian invasion, which denounced the use of force for territorial gain but refrained from direct criticism of Russia by name.

“Ukraine is grateful to the partners who tried to include strong wording in the text. At the same time, in terms of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Group of 20 has nothing to be proud of,” said Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman at the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Click here to read the full declaration

Mr. Nikolenko posted a photo of a part of the statement edited in red, changing “the war in Ukraine” to “the war against Ukraine” and adding references to Russia.

The document had said that “all states” should “refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state”.

There was no explicit reference to Russia, unlike in a G-20 statement in Bali in 2022 that cited a U.N. resolution condemning “in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine”.

“It’s obvious that the Ukraine’s participation (in the meeting) would allow the participants to better understand the situation,” Mr. Nikolenko said.