At the opening session of the summit, attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the British prime minister used his speech to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and the targeting of civilians and warned world leaders of the threat it poses to the international order . “One person has the power to change all this,” Sunak said at the summit, which was also addressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “It is remarkable that Putin did not feel able to join us here. Perhaps, if he had, we could continue to work things out. “Because the single biggest difference anyone could make is for Russia to leave Ukraine and end this barbaric war.” In a veiled remark about those nations that have remained neutral in the conflict, including China and India, Sunak said all countries were at greater risk because of the precedent that had been set. “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has profound implications for all of us because it has undermined the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. “We all depend on these principles. They are the foundations of the international order. They must be observed. “It’s very simple – countries should not invade their neighbors, they should not attack civilian infrastructure and civilian populations, and they should not threaten nuclear escalation. Surely these are things we can all agree on.” Sunak also used his intervention to call for an end to the grain crisis. “The weaponization of energy and food is completely unacceptable,” he said. “Two-thirds of Ukraine’s grain goes to developing countries, yet Russia has destroyed grain warehouses and blocked shipments. “It hurts the most vulnerable people around the world. And this has nothing to do with sanctions. All of us must support the Secretary-General’s efforts to restore the Black Sea Grains Initiative.” Russia’s presence has cast a shadow over the summit and left nations deadlocked over a final communiqué, which is likely to contain only weak resolutions on the economy and digital issues due to the G20’s inability to agree on a statement that would condemning Moscow’s aggression or blaming the economic turmoil on the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. But No 10 also said there was a widespread feeling that Russia’s presence should not be allowed to block any progress and that some words were likely to be agreed on the importance of stability in global markets. The summit comes days after the extraordinary Ukrainian military advance, including the recapture of the strategically important city of Kherson. In his speech, Zelensky referred to what he called “the G19” – deliberately excluding Russia – and compared the victory in Kherson to the turning point in World War II. “It’s like, for example, D-Day — the Allied landings in Normandy,” he said. “I want this aggressive Russian war to end fairly and on the basis of the UN Charter and international law,” Zelensky said. “Ukraine should not be offered to compromise its conscience, sovereignty, territory and independence. We respect the rules and are people of our word.”
