GET OUT OF UKRAINE!
Little Rishi gets tough with Russians…
RISHI Sunak told the scowling Russian foreign minister GET OUT OF UKRAINE!
The PM said “countries should not invade their neighbours” as he condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the G20 summit in Bali.
Facing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the hall, the PM called on Moscow to “get out of Ukraine and end this barbaric war” as he blamed the conflict for worsening global economic challenges.
He criticised Vladimir Putin for not attending, saying: “Maybe if he had, we could get on with sorting things out”.
The gathering of leaders of the major economies was opened by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who said the world would struggle to move forward “if the war does not end”.
The annual summit comes as G20 nations are deeply divided over Russia’s actions in Ukraine, which have pushed up food and energy prices around the world.
In his remarks, Mr Sunak said the the context for this G20 “is stark”.
According to a Downing Street transcript of his speech to the closed session, the Prime Minister said: “Russia’s illegal invasion has implications for us all, because it has undermined the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We all depend on these principles. They are the foundations of international order. They must be upheld.
Destroying
“It is very simple – countries should not invade neighbours, they should not attack civilian infrastructure and civilians and they should not threaten nuclear escalation.”
He said the economic issues “we should be focusing on today are made much, much worse” by Moscow’s actions.
“The weaponisation of energy and food is totally unacceptable,” he said, adding that Russia is “harming the most vulnerable people around the world” by destroying grain stores and blocking shipments.
Mr Sunak urged fellow leaders to support the renewal of a deal allowing grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to ease the global food crisis.
He continued: “One man has the power to change all of this.
“It is notable that Putin didn’t feel able to join us here. Maybe if he had, we could get on with sorting things out.”