Zelensky Criticizes G20’s Weak Position on Russian Invasion

President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the Group of 20 (G20)’s weak position on Russia’s invasion.

The 2024 summit ended with a statement that included just one paragraph mentioning only “human suffering” with regard to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine – which recently passed 1,000 days.

The paragraph failed to even mention that Russia is the aggressor.

Last year’s summit declaration, in New Delhi, had seven paragraphs, including one that condemned Russia’s nuclear threats and which called for an end to attacks on food and energy infrastructure.

“If we want good, normal relations between our nations, between our peoples, then, we should probably support people first, not aggressors, leaders of aggression in the world, like Putin, like today's modern Russia,” Zelensky said in a statement posted on the president’s website.

While Zelensky said that the majority of Brazilian people support Ukraine, and thanked them for it, their president, Lula da Silva, which hosted the G20 Summit, showed a “weak position” on the war, Zelensky said.

“I do not believe that populism can stop Putin. I do not believe that cheap energy resources can protect your freedom for a long time. I believe this is a wrong step,” Zelensky said.

Russia recently escalated its war against Ukraine, firing a ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

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Every two or three months, Putin escalates the frontline situation in order to raise the stakes and avoid sitting down at the negotiating table, Zelensky said.

“Without a clear stance from major countries – the United States, Brazil, Asian and African states – agreements with Putin will amount to mere stalling tactics and further intimidation by Russia. At the same time, all the steps proposed by Ukraine to end the war are based on the UN Charter. Our country hopes that our partners will support them,” Zelensky said.